Tino Lisella and Valerie Makarewicz were interviewed on Federal News Network’s Federal Drive podcast to discuss recent updates to the IRS’ voluntary disclosure practice. With enforcement ramping up and penalties increasing, the program is becoming the safest way to resolve past tax mistakes before they escalate. This episode highlights the risks, red flags, and next steps for those who want to participate.

“The VDP program that the IRS is proposing can assist taxpayers with past-due returns that have yet to be filed or noncompliance in payment and significantly reduce their risk of prosecution,” said Makarewicz.

Added Lisella, “[P]eople who believe they may have a willful violation of the tax code, meaning a voluntary intentional violation, can come in and if they are not under any sort of investigation or examination — so, civilly by the IRS or criminally by the IRS, if nothing is opened on them yet — it allows them to provide certain background information to assist the IRS in determining whether there’s something open on them somewhere within the IRS.”

Listen to the episode. A transcript is also available.

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