PHILADELPHIA (November 2016) - Kevin F. Sweeney, senior counsel with Chamberlain Hrdlicka, one of the nation’s most profitable mid-size law firms, was the featured speaker at the New Jersey Society of Enrolled Agents Dinner on Nov. 9, 2016.
Enrolled Agents are the only federally licensed tax practitioners who specialize in taxation and also have unlimited rights to represent taxpayers before the IRS. The topic for November’s monthly dinner meeting was “Eggshell Audits: Handling IRS Examinations with Potential Fraud Penalty and Criminal Issues.”
Sweeney focused on eggshell audits, a civil IRS examination with the potential to become a criminal examination. In his discussion, he advised the audience on strategizing for a sensitive audit, identifying signs of criminal referral, and handling tax returns during an eggshell audit. He also provided insight on how the IRS develops evidence of fraud and makes criminal referrals to the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division.
Prior to joining Chamberlain Hrdlicka, Sweeney worked for the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division as a federal tax prosecutor, where he led many of its most successful tax cases, including offshore banking cases against prominent Swiss banks BSI SA, Union Bancaire Privée (UBP) SA, and Edmond de Rothschild SA. During his tenure, he investigated and litigated dozens of federal white-collar criminal cases including tax evasion, tax preparer, employment tax, FBAR, money laundering, currency structuring, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and other financial fraud matters.
At Chamberlain Hrdlicka, Sweeney puts his experience and longstanding connections to use representing individuals and corporate clients in IRS audits and criminal investigations, civil tax litigation before the United States Tax Court, District Courts, and Court of Federal Claims, and white-collar criminal defense litigation in United States District Court. He speaks nationally on tax and white collar law topics.