He was writing textbooks and teaching statistics at an obscure college when a 300-year-old math mystery was solved. That's when Amir Aczel took it upon himself to explain to the world the story of "Fermat’s Last Theorem: Unlocking the Secret of an Ancient Mathematical Problem." The 1996 book combined math, history and mystery in a compelling tale that captured the public's imagination.
Aczel, who died recently of cancer at age 65, was known for his tenacity and writing skills, both of which were seen after he went through an arduous audit of his tax returns. The Internal Revenue Service had questioned his deductions, and in turn, Aczel analyzed more than 1,200 tax returns as research for his landmark book, "How to Beat the I.R.S. at Its Own Game: Strategies to Avoid — and Fight — an Audit."
Aczel's literary battle against the tax collector sold especially well as the April 15 filing deadline approached, the New York Times noted in its obituary for the famed science writer. The book published in January of 1996 is still offered on Amazon, though several reviewers' comments suggest its contents have become a bit dated over the years.
For those dealing with an IRS audit as 2015 draws to a close, one of the most important things to remember is that you have the right to legal representation throughout the process. In addition, if the agent's findings are overly harsh or otherwise inappropriate, you have the right to appeal those findings at U.S. Tax Court with the assistance of a tax attorney.
