Tax Shelters

The Associated Press has this charming story about accountant Charles Ulrich, a man who persuaded a Court of Claims judge to accept his novel interpretation of a federal tax issue.  (Ruling.)  Years before the court's ruling, Ulrich promoted this tax theory via his website.  He also helped people file refund requests.  The IRS's reaction?

But the IRS wasn't pleased with Ulrich, accusing him of promoting abusive tax shelters and demanding the names of his clients, which he said he refused to provide.

While Ulrich's theory might not be right on the merits (I do not have an opinion), at least one federal judge has accepted it. 

So the next time your local paper talks about an "abuse tax shelter," remember Charles Ulrich's experience.  And remember that, so far as the IRS is concerned, anything that prevents them from reaching all the way to the bottom of your pockets is a "tax shelter."