Faucher Law

02/17/2026

How public is it when you file bankruptcy? As it turns out, not very . . . . though it's actually a public process.

How Public Is the Information in a Bankruptcy?John Faucher2026-02-17T13:08:19-08:00 Many clients worry about how public the information in a bankruptcy will be: who gets or can see the information in their personal chapter 7 bankruptcy? After all, when a person files bankruptcy, they are filing a 50...

12/30/2025

Bankruptcy is a great time to decide whether to keep your car or give it back to the dealer. If you want to keep it, think hard about whether to reaffirm the loan; because of California's laws, reaffirmation gives you little benefit over just retaining the car and continuing to pay the note. Read on.

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03/14/2025

IRS notices almost always strike fear in taxpayers. But if you know what they mean, many of them are not so scary after all. And in today's environment, it's less likely than ever that the IRS is about to freeze your accounts: after all, most of its employees are worried about whether they will have a job tomorrow, or whether they're actually allowed to take whatever action they are about to take. Institutional paralysis reigns.
Here's a primer on how serious your IRS notice actually is:

How Threatening is the IRS Collections Notice I Just Received?John Faucher2025-03-14T13:43:15-08:00 Almost everyone calls me in a panic after receiving a collections notice from the IRS threatening to levy on their bank account, attach their wages, or put a lien on their house. They all think it wil...

02/18/2025

I understand the argument that one needs to break some eggs to make an omelet. DOGE is breaking a lot of eggs. But does it really need to get access to the data base that holds every taxpayer's data? I don't know how this fights fraud and inefficiency. https://lnkd.in/gvj-YgVJ
Also, Congress has restricted who can access an individual's personal tax information. Yes, the president and his appointees have that authority, but only under specific conditions, not wholesale, per 26 U.S.C. § 6103(g):
"(g)Disclosure to President and certain other persons
"(1) In general Upon written request by the President, signed by him personally, the Secretary shall furnish to the President, or to such employee or employees of the White House Office as the President may designate by name in such request, a return or return information with respect to any taxpayer named in such request. Any such request shall state—
"(A)
the name and address of the taxpayer whose return or return information is to be disclosed,
"(B)
the kind of return or return information which is to be disclosed,
"(C)
the taxable period or periods covered by such return or return information, and
"(D)
the specific reason why the inspection or disclosure is requested."

I hope that there are lawyers at Treasury who push back against this specific attempt to breach safeguards.

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03/13/2024

Did you know that the IRS has an Instagram account? I didn't. That's better than me - it's only Sebastian, my feline paralegal, who has such an account here (.the.feline.paralegal). The IRS's account is pretty informative too . . .
https://faucherlaw.com/irs-instagram-account-biggest-surprises/

01/25/2024

https://faucherlaw.com/best-museum-rooms/

We're not talking today about tax litigation, nor about people losing it all and needing to file bankruptcy. No: the question is, what museums spark joy? Here's my list.

Museums can make us feel as if we've been transported somewhere new. Sometimes, just one room can achieve this. I present to you my favorite rooms in museums.

12/22/2023

Christmastime. I used to be pretty grouchy about it, but I've leaned in. Read on, and see Sebastian in his Christmas sweater.

Here's three of my family's favorite Christmas traditions. Wishing everyone very happy Holidays from all of us at Faucher Law, Tax and Bankruptcy.

08/07/2023

The tax authorities (IRS and FTB) are very concerned about tax shelters, very sophisticated schemes that may or may not be entirely legal. FTB is now offering amnesty if the taxpayer is willing to back off from the benefits of claiming these shelters. Worth it? Probably. If you stick to the tax shelter, you'll face an audit and a draining of your resources as you pay for attorney time. Winning will cost you. Accepting amnesty means you've got to pay more tax now, but probably a lot less than later on.

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04/11/2023

Here is a roadmap for how a bankruptcy case goes from steps to the discharge.

How Long Does A Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Take in Thousand Oaks?John Faucher2023-04-06T13:49:33-08:00 New clients often ask me: how long does a Chapter 7 bankruptcy take? The short answer: it depends. It depends on how quickly the client organizes their information and documents; it depends on whether it...

03/14/2023

Congratulations to Everything Everywhere All At Once! I watched it and, as you can imagine, I was highly interested in the tax-audit angle. Read on to find out what the Daniels got right and wrong about an IRS audit.

Everything Everywhere All At Once won Best Picture at the 95th Oscars. A former IRS lawyer critiques the accuracy of the film's IRS audit scenes.

03/01/2023

Here's a very local post about schmoozing in Westlake Village.

What are the best restaurants for lunch in Westlake Village? Especially for a business lunch? I network a lot at lunchtime and here's my favorites.