Last year (2009) I applied for the Voluntary Disclosure program on the advice of a very swanky attorney. I wasn't hiding any foreign bank accounts or dodging tax, but had neglected to file tax returns while living overseas and needed to clean up the paperwork. While intially regretting my decision, I am happy to report that I was treated very fairly by the IRS. I have started this blog in response to the frustration I felt while in the program because there was so little information available for people like me.
Here are a few lessons I learned:
1. I hired two very expensive lawyers during this process on a consultation (hourly) basis. I felt they were pretty useless (this is the polite version of what I felt).
2. I ended up firing them and chose to represent myself through the process using the internet as a research tool in combination with my common sense. It was an agonizing and time-consuming process but I am a better human being for having gone through it.
3. I was treated very fairly by the IRS. I have nothing negative to say about them. They were far more straightforward with me than either of the lawyers I hired.
4. I truly believe most lawyers who are advertising their services to help expats like me through this process are simply using this as a "cash cow" and do not have the client's best interests at heart. I could write at length about why I feel this way, but for the moment will refrain from doing so.
Instead of posting the details of my story, I am leaving this blog open in the event that others who are currently going through the process might wish to discuss their experience. If you leave a comment or question I will, after approving the comment, respond to it online. If no one out there is interested in this issue the blog will stay dormant.
It is my sincere belief that I was able to achieve a much better result by representing myself than I could have achieved had I been represented by a lawyer. I will be happy to share tips for how to do this successfully if there is an audience out there looking for help.
