Tom Buck

Tom Buck, CPA is a published author, tax coach, teacher and mentor. He has been a licensed CPA since 1971 and has been in private practice since 1982. As chairman of the Nevada Society of CPAs Taxation Committee he did considerable radio and television work, eventually interviewing figures such as Senator Harry Reid and Charles Rossotti, former IRS commissioner on live television.

In 1982 the IRS took on the casino dealers in Nevada for not reporting their tips (tokes). Tom Buck, by then a CPA, had worked his way through college as a craps dealer at Harrah’s in Reno. Many of Tom’s old associates came to him for help because the IRS was billing many of these folks upwards of $100,000 for taxes on the underreporting. At that time there were no courses of study, or even written guides to teach how to do IRS problem work. That meant learning the hard way, by trial and error. As is often the case, street smarts are often at least as valuable as education. (Nowadays, you can get educated before going into battle. However, street smarts, in Tom’s experience, always trump education alone.)

Over the years, Tom has refined his skills and takes on virtually any type of IRS problem. The chess knight (the chess piece with the most complex moves) logo Tom has used for almost thirty years is by design. According to his view, dealing with the IRS is nothing more than a large-scale game. Granted, the rule book is huge (think of the IRS Code plus all the rules, regs, letters, court rulings, etc.). However, as in any game – if you know the rules and can devise a winning strategy and are quick on your feet, you should end up with nothing but wins for your clients.

The approach Tom takes and that he would like to pass on to you is this: the “science” of the work is the law and how it should be applied. The “art” is being able to counter any and all IRS measures which are not supported by law. Does the IRS always follow the rules? Of course not, so part of the “art” is really in forcing the IRS to obey the law. Of course, having the tenacity of a bulldog is often the critical ingredient. In the final analysis, once you determine what the outcome should be, then you must be ready to take any detours necessary to get you client to the finish line.

Tom is a willing and helpful teacher and looks forward to sharing his hard-gained knowledge.

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