Join Caroline Ciraolo, Bryan Skarlatos, Jay Nanavati, Christopher Ferguson, Michael Sardar, Don Fort, and Abigail Burke for their reflections about what issues will be front and center for the tax community, the Internal Revenue Service, and the courts in the year to come!
By Don Fort Bloomberg Tax December 18, 2023 The Covid-19 pandemic brought about a once-in-a-generation health crisis, also creating a surge in fraud. Earlier this month, the IRS’s Criminal Investigation Division unveiled a conspicuously high conviction rate—over 98% for the more than 300 Covid-19 fraud cases investigated in the last
Last week, partners and associates from Kostelanetz attended the American Bar Association’s 40th Annual National Institute on Criminal Tax Fraud and the 13th Annual National Institute on Tax Controversy. Partners Bryan C. Skarlatos, Caroline D. Ciraolo, Megan L. Brackney, and Michael Sardar, along with Director of Investigations Don Fort, each led panels
Caroline D. Ciraolo and Director of Investigations Don Fort recently attended the 40th Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime held at Jesus College in Cambridge University. The two delivered keynotes and moderated panel discussions about some of the biggest challenges in financial crime cases today. On September 3, Don delivered
By Caroline Ciraolo, Don Fort, and Ian Weinstock Bloomberg Tax August 28, 2023 High-net-worth US taxpayers, working with professional advisers, have transferred assets into personal retirement plans established in Malta to limit and potentially eliminate tax on distributions. These so-called Malta pension plans rely on a specific interpretation of the
Don Fort was quoted in a recent Wall Street Journal article entitled “First Came the Crypto Crash. Now Comes the Taxman.” published on November 11, 2022. The article notes: “The IRS has already used this strategy, called a John Doe summons, to pursue crypto tax cheats with transactions of $20,000
Robert Nordlander interviews Don Fort, former Chief of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, about his journey to becoming an IRS special agent, the theory to seize assets from Russian Oligarchs, the importance of mentors in this career, and having a positive attitude when you don’t get selected. Click
Don Fort was quoted in a recent CNN article entitled “Federal Funding Shortfall to IRS Threatens US Sanctions Enforcement on Russian Oligarchs,” published on March 27, 2022. The article notes: “How seriously are we really taking the sanctions problem if you’re not properly funding the one agency that can really
Don Fort was quoted in a recent Tax Notes article entitled “Ukraine Invasion Prompts Wyden Call to Strengthen IRS CI,” published on March 2, 2022. The article notes: Don Fort of Kostelanetz & Fink LLP, who served as CI chief from 2017 to 2020, said he agrees with Wyden that
