February 2, 2015 — The Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006 set up an IRS Whistleblower Office so whistleblowers with information about tax fraud could notify the IRS and receive compensation. The Act allows tipsters to receive a percentage of 15 to 30 percent of the funds the IRS recovers based on an informant’s unique information. To be eligible for compensation concerning a private individual’s IRS violations, the tax evader’s gross income must exceed $200,000 for every taxable year involved and the government’s recovery must top $2 million. To receive a reward for information about a corporation’s wrongdoing, no minimum recovery is required.
Kentucky Doctor Claimed Millions of Dollars in Phony Expenses to Reduce Lucrative Income from Operating Medical Clinic
A former physician from London, Kentucky has pleaded guilty to tax fraud involving millions of dollars. Dr. Visa Haran Sivasubramaniam has admitted to filing fraudulent tax returns that included claims for millions of dollars in phony business expenses in an effort to reduce the doctor’s taxable income.
Sivasubramaniam ran a hematology and oncology clinic located in Kentucky. Between 2007 and 2009, Sivasubramaniam made over $16 million in income from Hematology Oncology Physicians East (HOPE). During that same time, Sivasubramaniam attempted to offset his income by filing tax returns that claimed he had spent almost $13 million in phony medical supply expenses. Sivasubramaniam also filed tax returns that reported losses from the clinic even though it was quite profitable. Sivasubramaniam reportedly owes the IRS more than $4.5 million as a result of the fraud.
Sivasubramaniam will be sentenced on July 7.
Employees Notify IRS about Employers’ Tax Fraud
While Waters & Kraus is not handling this particular instance of tax fraud, we are representing whistleblowers with knowledge of similar types of tax scams. Before stepping forward, tipsters should understand how the process works. The IRS tax fraud lawyers with Waters & Kraus provide government collaborators with the legal counsel they deserve.
Contact us by email or call our whistleblower attorneys at 855.784.0268 to learn how we can protect your interests. Our qui tam lawyers, like Paul Lawrence in our Washington D.C. area office, are committed to advancing and protecting informants’ interests in whistleblower lawsuits.