The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are continuing to target PPP and ERC fraud in New Jersey. While the paycheck protection program (PPP) and employee retention credit (ERC) were intended as pandemic-era relief programs, widespread fraud under both of these programs has forced the IRS and DOJ to take aggressive action to recover fraudulent taxpayer losses. To date, the IRS and DOJ have conducted more than 1,600 investigations resulting in nearly 400 sentences—with a 98.5 percent conviction rate in prosecuted cases. But, as New Jersey tax lawyer Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group, explains, this is almost certainly just the beginning.

Federal tax audits present risks for companies of all sizes. Not only can audits lead to liability for back taxes and interest (which begins to accrue immediately), but the IRS imposes various penalties for income and employment-related tax violations as well. As most of these penalties are percentage-based—up to 75 percent in cases of fraud—all companies can face penalties that have a major impact on their bottom line. This makes it essential to hire an experienced New Jersey business tax attorney when facing scrutiny from the IRS. Learn more from Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group:

Facing allegations of Employee Retention Credit (ERC) fraud presents substantial risks for businesses and their owners. IRS ERC tax audits and investigations can lead to civil or criminal penalties, and once the IRS opens an inquiry, submitting a voluntary disclosure or withdrawing the business’s ERC claim is no longer an option. In this article, New Jersey IRS tax lawyer Kevin E. Thorn, Managing Partner of Thorn Law Group, explains what owners and executives need to know when the IRS targets their business for suspected ERC fraud.

While most IRS audits present risks for civil liability (i.e., liability for back taxes, interest and penalties), targeted taxpayers can also face criminal charges in some cases. Defending against an IRS criminal tax audit requires a very different approach, and it is critical that taxpayers targeted in these audits engage an experienced New Jersey criminal tax lawyer to advise them and communicate with the IRS on their behalf.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) relies heavily on its audit authority to hold businesses accountable for underreporting and underpaying their federal tax obligations. With additional resources at its disposal, the IRS has announced plans to increase its audit rate in 2024, and it has specific plans to target businesses for income tax fraud, employment tax fraud, Employee Retention Credit (ERC) fraud, and other corporate tax law violations. For companies that find themselves in the IRS’s crosshairs, engaging an experienced New Jersey business tax lawyer is a key first step toward achieving a favorable outcome.