In the year 2020 alone, the Internal Revenue Service identified over $2.3 billion in tax fraud schemes and other financial crimes. When individuals or corporations fail to pay the appropriate amount of taxes, it can impact the government’s ability to allocate funds towards expenses like social services, infrastructure, and other things that affect the average American.
If you have evidence of fraud against the government, you may consider bringing a qui tam lawsuit against the individual or organization committing the fraud. In the United States, the False Claims Act incentivizes whistleblowers to come forward about fraud against the government by awarding them with a percentage of the stolen funds that are recovered.
If you are considering a qui tam lawsuit, you need an attorney who you can trust and who is experienced in whistleblower cases. Contact the New York tax fraud whistleblower lawyers of Tycko & Zavareei LLP today for a confidential case evaluation.
The False Claims Act (FCA) was established by Abraham Lincoln as a means of holding corporations responsible for fraud against the government and rewarding and protecting whistleblowers who come forward to report suspected fraud. Under the FCA, any private citizen can bring a lawsuit against a fraudulent entity in the name of the government.
A lawsuit brought by a private citizen on behalf of the government is referred to as a qui tam lawsuit and whistleblowers, or qui tam relators, who bring successful lawsuits may be entitled to 15-30% of the defrauded funds that the government is able to recover.
Modeled after the federal FCA, the New York False Claims Act (NYFCA) has a few key differences that benefit whistleblowers, including allowing whistleblowers to expose tax fraud under the NYFCA Tax Whistleblower provision. This allows individuals to bring qui tam lawsuits against corporations who are knowingly, purposely, and recklessly underpaying New York state taxes.
Whistleblowers who bring tax fraud qui tam lawsuits may be able to assist the IRS in recovering millions of dollars that corporations may fail to pay in taxes. Examples of tax law abuse by corporations may include:
If you have proof of corporate tax abuse involving any of these examples or other forms of tax fraud, contact the New York tax fraud whistleblower lawyers of Tycko & Zavareei LLP for a confidential consultation.
Many people fear becoming a whistleblower due to concerns that the organization or business they are reporting for fraud may retaliate against them. The FCA and other whistleblower protection laws have anti-retaliation provisions that are meant to protect whistleblowers from retaliation, punishment, or harassment from their employer.
Employees, contractors, and other insiders of a company are protected from being fired, demoted, suspended, threatened, harassed, or otherwise subjected to punishment for coming forward with a whistleblower claim or for attempting to stop the illegal behavior taking place. If an employee is fired out of retaliation, the FCA allows the employee to take legal action to pursue any backpay missed due to the wrongful termination, plus added interest and reasonable attorney’s fees. If you have been retaliated against for blowing the whistle on fraud, contact a New York tax fraud whistleblower attorney who can explain your options for legal recourse against retaliation.
In cases where whistleblowers’ tips lead the IRS to recover substantial defrauded funds in excess of $2 million, the whistleblower may be entitled to up to 30% of the funds that are recovered. In cases that do not meet the $2 million threshold, the whistleblower is entitled to up to 15% of successfully recovered funds. If you believe you have proof of tax fraud, contact a qualified whistleblower attorney who will be able to help you recover the maximum compensation if your evidence leads to successfully recovered funds.
Since qui tam lawsuits are complex, it is important to consult with an experienced whistleblower attorney with experience handling qui tam whistleblower cases who can explain the legal process and answer your questions. A qualified tax fraud whistleblower lawyer will also:
At Tycko & Zavareei LLP, our whistleblower law firm has been nationally recognized for its work on major whistleblower cases and has decades of experience working alongside qui tam relators to shed light on fraudulent entities. Our tax fraud whistleblower lawyers have represented whistleblowers across the country and have worked on cases that have led to over $7 billion in defrauded funds that were successfully recovered.
If you believe you have proof of tax fraud, contact the New York tax fraud whistleblower attorneys of Tycko & Zavareei LLP today for a confidential case evaluation.