News & Events
IRS returns to core mission: collecting taxes
By John Pacenti
DAILY BUSINESS REVIEW
September 22, 2008
Never underestimate the power of an accountant -- especially one with a gun.
Michael E. Yasofsky Jr., who holds accounting, law and sociology degrees, is the special agent in charge of the Miami field office of the Internal Revenue Service, which has been flexing its muscle in South Florida lately in unprecedented ways.
IRS investigations led to the arrest of an international banker, a renowned criminal defense attorney and two iconic Miami businessmen.
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Still, some defense attorneys say the agency has its fingers in too many pies.
“There is a trend of expanding their focus, especially into money laundering,” said Miami attorney Kendall Coffey of Coffey Burlington, a former Miami U.S. attorney. “The focus is understandable, but on the other hand they are the only agency enforcing our tax laws, and when they allocate resources away from that priority there is no one to fill the gap.”
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John Pacenti can be reached at john.pacenti@incisivemedia.com or at (305) 347-6638