Young

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) April 30, 2014

New York State is actively pursuing businesses that have engaged in tax evasion and wealthy taxpayers who are hiding income offshore. The New York False Claims Act permits individuals to share in the proceeds from these enforcement efforts if they bring forth evidence of tax fraud that results in successful collection efforts from a taxpayer. Unlike many states which do not provide for rewards in tax cases, the law allows accountants, financial professionals and employees of businesses, as well as others who wish to do the right thing when they discover wrongdoing, an avenue to report their information to the government and seek recovery on behalf of their fellow taxpayers.

“Recent enforcement actions by New York demonstrate that the state is actively pursuing collection efforts against tax evaders and would be interested in evidence about others,” according to Eric Young, Esq., Managing Partner of Young Law Group, P.C. “Individuals who have evidence of deliberate evasion or underpayment of taxes, including sales tax, should consult a whistleblower attorney about the procedure for reporting to the government and the potential for a reward based on their information.”

Prior to 2010, New York State did not pay for tax tips. In 2010, New York removed the exemption for cases of tax fraud in the False Claims Act, permitting whistleblowers with evidence of businesses avoiding payment of income taxes or the state sale tax to file a lawsuit to share in the state’s recovery. New York is beginning to see results from the change of the law.

Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and New York settled a qui tam whistleblower lawsuit in March brought against Lantheus Medical Imaging Inc. by a tax service provider for alleged failure to pay New York State and City taxes in Anonymous v. Anonymous, case number 102892/2012, Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York. Lantheus agreed to pay $ 6.2 million in the settlement for engaging in business in New York without paying applicable taxes.*

New York is also pursuing a tax fraud lawsuit initially brought by a whistleblower against Sprint-Nextel Corp that claims Sprint-Nextel failed to collect state and local taxes on flat-rate access charges for wireless calling plans. It estimates that Sprint has allegedly failed to pay $ 130 million in taxes, resulting in a case for damages of nearly $ 400 million.** The lawsuit is People of the State of New York et al. v. Sprint Nextel Corp. et al., case number 103917-2011, in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, County of New York.

New York’s use of the False Claims Act appears to be part of a systemwide effort to pursue cases of tax fraud. The Department of Taxation and Finance collected 5 percent more in evaded taxes in the 2013-14 fiscal year than it did the prior year.*** The increase of approximately $ 200 million brought the total achieved through enforcement programs for the year to $ 3.9 billion. Additionally, the Department of Financial Services, led by Superintendent Benjamin M. Lawsky, is also conducting an investigation into whether Credit Suisse aided taxpayers in tax evasion. A dual purpose of the inquiry, according to the New York Times, is to recover tax revenue lost by the State of New York. ****

“The real victims of tax fraud are the taxpayers who diligently and honestly pay their taxes every year,” said James J. McEldrew, III, Esq., Of Counsel at Young Law Group, P.C. “Individuals who come forward and tip the government to fraud are performing a public service. The False Claims Act recognizes the valuable contribution they make to society.”

About Young Law Group, P.C.

Young Law Group represents whistleblowers reporting tax evasion, securities fraud and health care fraud to the U.S. Government and various state governments, including New York. For a free confidential consultation about a potential case, please call Eric L. Young, Esq., at (800) 590-4116.

Eric L. Young, Esq., Managing Partner of Young Law Group, represented the first whistleblower awarded compensation by the IRS under the mandatory reward program created following the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006. Young has also served as an expert witness in areas of U.S. whistleblower law and represented clients in some of the largest qui tam recoveries including United States ex. rel. Lucia Paccione v. Cephalon Inc., E.D.P.A., 03-CV-6268.

Additional information about Young Law Group, P.C. can be found at http://eganyoung.com

For attribution purposes: * http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-announces-62-million-settlementwith-lantheus-medical-imaging-bristol

** http://www.ag.ny.gov/press-release/ag-schneiderman-wins-right-proceed-groundbreaking-tax-fraud-lawsuit-against-sprint

*** http://nypost.com/2014/04/16/ny-claws-back-3-9b-in-evaded-taxes/

**** http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/04/06/credit-suisse-is-said-to-be-facing-double-barreled-inquiries/

Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) April 28, 2014

The fraudulent billing of Medicare by ambulance companies is an area prime for whistleblowers with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimating that ambulance providers were overpaid more than $ 300 million last year.* Employees who identify that their company is charging Medicare illegally may earn a substantial reward if they report their evidence through the procedures set up by the False Claims Act and the United States recovers money from the company as a result.

Medicare pays for transportation by ambulance when it is medically necessary. “Although there are dialysis and cancer patients who may appropriately require rides for treatment, unscrupulous service providers will offer ambulance rides to patients who they could safely transport in a wheelchair van or could drive their own vehicle. The owners implement this practice in order to line their pockets because the government will reimburse more for ambulance transportation,” commented Eric L. Young, Esq., Managing Partner of Young Law Group.

Other practices which may violate the False Claims Act include the billing for emergency services in non-emergency situations, business acquired by referral agreements prohibited under the Anti-Kickback Statute and under the table payments to patients are also prohibited.

“Employees at companies engaged in this misconduct should consult with an attorney to determine their rights,” said Young. The Young Law Group offers a free, confidential evaluation to potential whistleblowers who have evidence of fraud by ambulance providers against the U.S. government. Please call 1-800-590-4116 for additional information.

“The federal government revised the False Claims Act in 1986 to strengthen the public-private partnership in the fight against fraud,” declared James J. McEldrew, III, Esq., Of Counsel to Young Law Group. “The government can not investigate every bill submitted by Medicare service providers in order to determine whether the charge is valid. It relies, in part, on ethical individuals working for the companies and others who come across evidence of fraud to report it.”

The False Claims Act authorizes individuals to report fraudulent bills submitted to and paid by Medicare in a qui tam lawsuit. If the government or the relator, as the whistleblower filing the lawsuit is commonly known, is able to recover money paid out by the government through litigation, the relator may receive between 15 and 30 percent of the amount recovered. The law also provides whistleblowers with protection against retaliation by authorizing a federal lawsuit for damages when an employer changes the terms and conditions of their employment due to lawful whistleblowing.

Earlier this month, the payment data for $ 77 billion paid through Medicare Part B to 880,000 providers in 2012 was released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).** The $ 5 billion paid by Medicare to ambulance companies in 2012 was more than was paid to orthopedic surgeons or cancer doctors.*

The Medicare data reveals that the program pays fifty percent more per patient, on average, to providers in West Virginia, Massachusetts, South Carolina and New Jersey for transportation. This may signal fraudulent billing but insiders are needed to confirm it with actual evidence of fraud. The U.S. government has already identified Houston, Texas and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as areas where illegal billing is likely to originate. New ambulance companies are not permitted to register with Medicare and Medicaid in these two regions at present.

About Young Law Group, P.C.

Young Law Group represents whistleblowers reporting health care fraud to the U.S. Government via qui tam lawsuits permitted by the False Claims Act. Young Law Group also represents individuals reporting securities fraud to the SEC/CFTC programs and tax evasion to the IRS.

Eric L. Young, Esq., Managing Partner of Young Law Group, represented the first whistleblower awarded compensation by the IRS under the mandatory reward program created following the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006. Young has also served as an expert witness in areas of U.S. whistleblower law and represented clients in some of the largest qui tam recoveries, including United States ex. rel. Lucia Paccione v. Cephalon Inc., E.D.P.A., 03-CV-6268.

For a free, confidential case evaluation and discussion about whistleblower laws and rights, please call Eric Young, Esq., at 1-800-590-4116.

Young Law Group, P.C., is a private law office located at 123 S. Broad St., Ste 1920, Philadelphia, PA 19109 with attorneys licensed to practice in Pennsylvania. The firm will associate with local counsel in other jurisdictions when necessary. Young Law Group may not be able to represent residents of all states.

Learn more about Eric Young, Esq., and Young Law Group at http://eganyoung.com

For attribution purposes:

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-04-24/medicare-s-5-billion-ambulance-tab-signals-area-of-abuse.html

** http://money.cnn.com/2014/04/09/news/economy/medicare-doctors/

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