The first tax levied in the United States was from the Stamp Act in 1765. The Act was passed by the Parliament of Great Britain. Basically any piece of paper was tax such as documents, ship’s papers, licenses, newspapers, publications and even playing cards were taxed. Great Britain enacted the tax to help with the costs of their maintaining a military presence protecting the American Colonies. Great Britain continued to levy more taxes. Common products imported into the Ame

Congratulations to Gantenbein Law Firm Denver, Colorado attorney Keith Gantenbein Jr. who was again, recognized as Super Lawyers, Rising Stars for 2018. For Keith, this is his fourth consecutive year as a Super Lawyer, Rising Star. Mr. Gantenbein is nationally recognized for his work in Real Estate Law, which also includes Foreclosures Defense and HOA Law. Mr. Gantenbein worked extensively last few years with the Colorado Supreme Court to pass updated Rules of Civil Procedure

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued a warning for a quickly growing scam involving taxpayers. An original alert was issued February 2, however the number of victims jumped from a few hundred to several thousands in just a couple of days. The IRS Criminal Investigation division is investigating just how deep and far-reaching this scheme is. The new scam is actually just a new twist on a scam they’ve used before. These criminals have stolen client data from email phis

Two years ago, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had 74,608 pages in their Tax Code (laws). More pages have been added since then. Is it no wonder taxes are one of the most complicated and complex legal issues today? Adjustments are made yearly to the income tax brackets which most of us are aware of. However, there are also other adjustments made, making taxes even more confusing. Thirty-three years ago “tax indexing” was added to the tax codes. Tax indexing adjusts variou

Nothing chills our veins like a letter from the IRS. Especially when you open the letter and find you’re under an IRS Audit or under an IRS Investigation. After you get over the shock - think twice before you even think of calling them. What you say to the IRS and what documents you provide can and most likely will be held against you. Most people think if they cooperate with the IRS, answer all their questions and give the IRS everything they ask, they’ll be treated better.

Your Estate Plan may consist of a Last Will and Testament, Trust, Power of Attorney and other important documents that need a tune-up from time to time. Not just because your life may have changed, but outside events can affect what’s in your estate plan as well. One recent outside event is the new tax reform that Congress passed at the end of December. Did the tax reform, or new estate tax limits affect or alter your estate plan? It’s the beginning of the year and time to th

On December 8, 2017, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made changes to its authentication system. This is the system that verifies tax returns that mortgage applicants provide. The system is known as the Income Verification Express System (IVES) and is in place to make sure tax returns aren’t fraudulent. Within five days of the changes, on December 13, mortgage groups were finding problems with the new system. Other groups said problems with the changes began almost immediat

Gantenbein Law Firm, Denver, Colorado is proud to announce its attorney, Keith Gantenbein, was named to 2017 Colorado Super Lawyers, Rising Stars list. Congratulations to owner and managing attorney Keith A. Gantenbein Jr, who was selected, named and included on the “2017 Colorado Super Lawyers Rising Stars” list. Super Lawyers is the Thomson Reuters lawyer rating service. To be selected as a Super Lawyer, attorneys are nominated by their peers and evaluated on 12 indicators

If you’re thinking of buying a home you’ve probably noticed the inventory of available houses for sale has been declining and mortgage rates and housing prices are on the rise. After years of having a huge inventory of houses to choose from, thousands of foreclosures and very low mortgage rates, the market is heading the other way. Denver is number three regionally for having the fastest time to sell a house. The average amount of days in Denver to sell a home is now 18 days,

Nationwide, home foreclosures have dropped to their lowest level since November 2005. During April 2017, there were 77,049 filings reported in the U.S. This number includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions. The figures reflect the lowest number of foreclosures since the housing crisis began. While the drop is significant, at the same time there was a rise in repeat foreclosures. A repeat foreclosure is noted as any property address with the same owne

The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) was introduced in 2009 and established to help homeowners recover from the great housing bubble burst. The HAMP was part of the Making Home Affordable program (MHA) along with the Hardest Hit Fund program (HHF) that was under the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). These programs were part of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 and put into place to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure. HAMP and the entire

Hundreds of Americans are getting frightening calls from “IRS Agents” making threats including sending the sheriff over to arrest them if they don’t pay back taxes immediately. The first 8 months of this year there has been a 400% surge in these phony calls and text messages. These calls are alarming due to the fact the so-called “IRS Agent” have personal information including their correct social security number, where the person lives, where they used to live, their maiden

Colorado’s housing market continues to be ‘hot’. The top ten hottest cities in our nation are: Miami, Phoenix, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Denver, San Antonio, Charlotte, San Diego and Flint. Denver is number 6. In the Denver-area, the average price of a single-family home rose 3%, averaging around $445,000 per home. Condominium prices rose 4.5% to an average of approximately $298,000. Houses and condos are on the market (listed) an average of 24 days before they are s

Our own IRS isn’t the only entity to fear when it comes to taxes. Europe has their eye on international businesses as well as wanting their ‘fare share’ of the profits. The French have widened their investigations and are cracking down on these international businesses concluding a nearly 3-year investigation and auditing of Priceline’s Booking.com The French tax authorities operate in a big way - with exactly $397.37 million in unpaid taxes slapped against Booking.com. The m

If you’re starting a new business, the tax obligations aren’t something you should try to handle alone. Meeting with a qualified tax and business attorney can save you thousands of dollars and ensure your business is starting out on the right foot. When it comes to taxes, there’s no room for error. An audit, additional taxes, penalties and fees can become a nightmare if you make one error, or grab the attention of the IRS. The first day your business is up and running, your b

There are many reasons to hire a Denver tax attorney, but none hit the mark more than ‘resolution’ and ‘confidentiality’. Resolution: A tax attorney is the only source that has the experience in achieving tax settlements and tax negotiations. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA) does not have a full understanding of tax laws and tax codes that can change several times a year. A tax attorney also has clear and full comprehension of the many programs available to help the taxpay

Keith Gantenbein, of Gantenbein Law Firm, has partnered with Heritage Title to teach a class today to Remax realtors. Mr. Gantenbein is speaking about the new CFPB (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau) guidlines for loan estimate and closing disclosures. Mr. Gantenbein comes from a family of realtors, and is a premier real estate attorney located in Denver, Colorado. Mr. Gantenbein has always been passionate about consumer protection issues: the new loan disclosure forms sho

February – the month of romance, Valentines and a hint that spring is on the way. It’s also the month you receive all those 1099’s, W-2s and other tax forms in the mail. The taxman cometh so we must prepare. There are several things that will make the taxman take a second look at your return - as in an audit. That dreaded word can send chills up your spine. Even if you’re completely in the right, the audit itself can be costly in time alone. Normally, individual audits occur

Denver tax attorney Tyler Murray, of Gantenbein Law Firm, taught tax case law updates at Colorado Bar Association CLE. The 2014 Annual Case Law Update was sponsored by the Business, Real Estate, Tax & Estate Law Sections of the Colorado Bar Association. Mr. Murray dicussed various legislative updates that pertained to tax law, business law and real estate law- including sales and use tax, property tax, employee classification, and Denver Lodges tax. Mr. Murray is a well-estab

Our Denver tax attorney is one of the very best in Colorado! Read our blog for a quick how-to guide on protecting your estate plan and reducing estate taxes: http://denvertaxattorney.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/death-and-taxes-a-guide-to-estate-tax-reduction #taxauditlawfirmdenver #estateplanningdenver #estatetaxattorneydenver #coloradotaxlawfirm #coloradotaxlawfirms #denvertaxattorney #denvertaxlawfirms #denvertaxlawfirm #gantenbeinlawfirm #savemoneyontaxes #taxlawfirmincolora