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Most Recent Posts

Bernie Sanders Less Of A Socialist Than Dwight Eisenhower

The moderator kept pressing him on raising rates on the wealthy. That is the shoe that I have been dying to have drop from Senator Sanders, but he was still not forthcoming. He did got a good laugh though when he said that he would not go as high as 90%, the top rate during the Eisenhower Administration, because he is not as much of a socialist as Dwight Eisenhower. O’Malley chimed in that it was 70% in the early part of the Reagan administration

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Former IRS Commissioners Scold Congress For Gutting IRS Budget

Former IRS Commissioners Scold Congress For Gutting IRS Budget

In light of the foregoing, we fail to understand how it makes any logical sense to continue to reduce, rather than increase, the IRS budget for FY 2016 in order to optimize the IRS’ ability to provide taxpayer service and to enforce the tax laws to increase revenue collections. To put it succinctly, we do not understand why anyone with present and projected debts and annual losses as large as those of the United States would refuse to pay for telephone assistance to people trying to fulfill their tax obligations, would turn their back on $8 billion annually in additional revenue, or would fail to make an investment that offers a return equal to at least four times the amount invested. For these reasons, we respectfully call upon each of you to support and work to accomplish the passage of an IRS appropriations request for FY 2016 that is substantially in excess of the appropriation for the IRS in FY 2015. …

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Ben Carson’s Tax Proposal Takes On The Mortgage And Charity Sacred Cows

Robert Bateman did a serious critique of Carson’s West Point story in Esquire. To be charitable, I think it is quite possible, even likely, that somebody might have told Carson that he would be shoo-in for West Point and that since he was not interested Carson did not look into it any further and mentally translated that into an offer of sorts. It would be a bit like me saying I turned down a basketball scholarship, because of all the people who noting my height advised me that I should go out for basketball, which would get me a scholarship, but not nearly as silly.

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Member Of Market America Millionaire Club Loses Criminal Tax Appeal

Member Of Market America Millionaire Club Loses Criminal Tax Appeal

The big difference is that if you get hooked on a multi-level marketing plan you will most likely pour time and resources into it and never get much out of it. On the other hand, if you get hooked on tax protester theories, you will get immediate rewards in that you will stop paying taxes. You will probably get away with it for a long time. As a matter of fact, as enforcement resources decline it might actually be likely that you will totally get away with it. When and if they finally catch up with you, hopefully you will have the sense to start taking more conventional advice, which will allow you to pay off your deficiencies over time and avoid forfeiting your liberty, but the really hard-core don’t do that. Hence the late Irwin Schiff dying in prison.

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This CPA Not Rooting For AICPA In Its IRS Lawsuit

This CPA Not Rooting For AICPA In Its IRS Lawsuit

The IRS had wanted to put some requirements around who could get a PTIN requiring an exam and continuing professional education for those without an existing recognized credential, but a lawsuit struck that down. So instead, the agency started an optional program – the Annual Filing Season Record of Completion. PTIN holders who jumped through the appropriate hoops would get one of those suckers (I don’t know whether they are suitable for framing) and, here is the big deal, be listed in this database along with the PTIN holders who are qualified to represent taxpayers before the IRS. That would be CPAs, attorneys, enrolled agents, enrolled actuaries and enrolled retirement plan agents.

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Republicans Want IRS To Target Hillary Clinton

Republicans Want IRS To Target Hillary Clinton

I leave it to the reader to determine how grave a matter this is, but I feel an obligation to be fair to the poor fellow who signed as paid preparer. I don’t know him personally but I recognize his firm’s name. You have to go look if you want to find out. Here is my confession. That error probably could have gotten by me too. The error would likely have been made by someone at a very low level, conceivably someone in India, although I’m not sure how much 990 outsourcing is going on. Ironically, if someone had entered $39,040,513 instead of $39,040,613, that would have been caught since it would make totals not agree, By transposing two numbers within a subtotal though only someone with a sharp eye would catch it.

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Taxing The Virtual World

Taxing The Virtual World

The terms of service that Blizzard lays out for Wold of Warcraft subscribers – more or less “What happens in Azeroth stays in Azeroth” make it a model of closed flow. Players can buy and sell things at an auction house paying with in-game gold and accumulate vast fortunes and rare items, but there is no mechanism for any of it to be translated into real money. You are not supposed to sell your in-game gold for real money or sell your whole account with its Level 80 warrior equipped with epic armor and weapons and a flying mount.

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Democratic Presidential Candidate Drops Out Without Releasing Tax Plan

The Bernie Sanders campaign sent me something pretty detailed, but there is still no word on what he is thinking for rates. Hillary Clinton has floated a couple of proposals – more than two holding periods for capital assets and a tax credit to encourage profit sharing plans – that make it clear that a vote for Clinton will not be a vote for tax simplification. I haven’t noted anything yet from O’Malley and Webb dropped with nary a word on tax, although he probably convinced the other candidates that if they didn’t pick him for VP, they should strongly consider him for heading up their Secret Service detail.

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