Every year at around this time most money web sites will throw up a list of “Top 10 Red Flags for the IRS.” The premise is that you should avoid doing some things on your tax return because you may draw unwanted attention from a nosy IRS agent that bears a shocking resemblance to SS Colonel Hans Landa (the Nazi detective from “Inglourious Basterds.” Using medieval techniques of torture (no one has ever accused the IRS of being unduly modern), he will extract compromising information, a hefty chunk of change, and your first born. Well, the madness stops here! Ignore those ridiculous lists and instead focus your efforts on legally minimizing your tax bill the smart [...]
