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2paradise
299
Tad Friend 360x1000
4albion
1confidencegames
1madoff
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Margaret Fuller5 360x1000
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2theleastofus
Ruth Bader Ginsburg 360x1000
2lafayette
Margaret Fuller 360x1000
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Maria Popova 360x1000
3defense
LillianFaderman
13albion
Margaret Fuller3 360x1000
399
Mary Ann Evans 360x1000
1paradide
3confidencegames
Anthony McCann1 360x1000
Thomas Piketty2 360x1000
8albion'
lifeinmiddlemarch1
Edmund Burke 360x1000
Storyparadox1
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10abion
1jesusandjohnwayne
9albion
Spottswood William Robinson 360x1000
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2jesusandjohnwayne
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Margaret Fuller4 360x1000
1albion
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Learned Hand 360x1000
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George F Wil...360x1000
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499
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George M Cohan and Lerarned Hand 360x1000
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Thomas Piketty3 360x1000
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199

Most Recent Posts

Sixth Circuit Disallows Fool For A Client Defense

Sixth Circuit Disallows Fool For A Client Defense

Many years ago when I was working in the hotel/restaurant industry, I remember a restaurant manager talking about how it was important to have good cash controls to avoid people being led into temptation and harming themselves.  I remember that when I think about the OID fraud.  It should never have worked at all.  Now we have people deservedly serving long prison sentences for being idiots.  It’s very sad.

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Exactly What Kind Of A Criminal Might Lois Lerner Be?

It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee of the United States or any person described in section 6103 (n) (or an officer or employee of any such person), or any former officer or employee, willfully to disclose to any person, except as authorized in this title, any return or return information (as defined in section 6103 (b)). Any violation of this paragraph shall be a felony punishable upon conviction by a fine in any amount not exceeding $5,000, or imprisonment of not more than 5 years, or both, together with the costs of prosecution, and if such offense is committed by any officer or employee of the United States, he shall, in addition to any other punishment, be dismissed from office or discharged from employment upon conviction for such offense.

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First Circuit Loss For Transgender Prisoner May Have Positive Tax Implications For Others

First Circuit Loss For Transgender Prisoner May Have Positive Tax Implications For Others

I would not rule out a future administration shifting course on that.  If they do, however, I think the Kosilek decision could be used against that future IRS.  This seems counter-intuitive, since Kosilek is clearly a loss for incarcerated people seeking sexual reassignment surgery. If a prisoner is diagnosed as needing SRS, a Department of Corrections will always be able to find some physician somewhere to argue that the SRS is not required and when the judicially recognized deference to corrections official on security matters is thrown in will be able to win, if this decision sticks. A prisoner is entitled to medical care, but not necessarily the medical care that the prisoner prefers.  It’s different in the free world, if you can afford the procedure (and you would not be concerning yourself about tax deductions, if you could not) you are the one who gets to decide which doctor to listen to and all the judges involved in this case have agreed that SRS is a valid medical procedure.  That’s what I see as the positive aspect of this case for the transgender community.

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Final Way Station On The Road To My Forbes Millennium

Final Way Station On The Road To My Forbes Millennium

I have to say that I like Christians a lot, but particularly when they act – you know – Christian.  I also think whackadoodle tax and conspiracy theories are not really good for Christians or anybody, so I am going to keep encouraging them to focus more on feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty and loving their enemies.

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Tom Coburn Tax Decoder Takes On Clergy Tax Abuse

In discussing the abuse of the parsonage allowance, Senator Coburn did not bring up Revenue Ruling 70-549 which allows colleges affiliated with the Church of Christ to pay tax free housing allowances to faculty and administrators, who are members of the Church of Christ.  The most well known beneficiary of this ruling is probably Pepperdine University. The Church of Christ has a priesthood of all believers theology making all members “ministers of the gospel”.  Constitutional scholar Edward Zelinsky, who defends the constitutionality of the cash housing allowance, but believes it is bad tax policy told me that he finds the ruling “unpersuasive” under the existing regulations and case law.

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Federal Tax Exemption Often Not Enough For Local Assessors

Federal Tax Exemption Often Not Enough For Local Assessors

the statute demands, that it be proven that the property for which an exemption is sought be used solely for the charitable purpose.  …

Here, petitioner provided no proofs of ever admitting a patient to Forest Glen without expectation of payment, or for caring for a Medicare or Medicaid patient at the facility. Petitioner asserted the existence of a scholarship fund which was unfunded and never used at Forest Glen. The Tribunal did not err in finding in this instance that the $75,000 write-off was a business practice and not a charity.

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Senator Tom Coburn v. IRC 107

Senator Tom Coburn v. IRC 107

Here is an other guest post from Robert Baty.  Bob is a retired IRS Appeals Officer.  He has something of an obsession with an obscure Revenue Ruling from 1970....

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Did You Hear The One About Lois Lerner Walking Into A Bar?

Did You Hear The One About Lois Lerner Walking Into A Bar?

 Your voter registration drives will be focused on (1) geographic areas generally more supportive of M causes, and (2) unregistered voters on the membership lists of your Affiliates. You have described your Affiliates as “M- oriented.” Like the organization in Situation 2, which only urged voters to vote if they agreed with the position of a particular candidate on a certain issue, you will specifically target your voter registration efforts towards individuals that support M causes.

Since the bulk of these activities are conducted on behalf of and in support of your Affiliates , all private non-profit groups of a “M- orientation” and who mostly are not § 501(c)(3) or § 501(c)(4) organizations, you have not established that these activities are conducted to further a social welfare purpose.

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With Amazon Facing $1.5 Billion Income Tax Bill, Bezos Too Busy To Testify

With Amazon Facing $1.5 Billion Income Tax Bill, Bezos Too Busy To Testify

Judge Lauber has to balance the burden placed on Mr. Bezos against the value of his testimony to the IRS.  Even though the government predicted that the testimony would take less than a day, the broad range of subjects they are addressing would require him to spend substantial time preparing.  In terms of the value of the information, they have already heard from several members of the senior leadership team so any information added by Mr. Bezos would be cumulative or duplicative.

So the subpoena is squashed and only the S-team will be weighing in with top management testimony.

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Iowa Corporation Not Liable For California Corporate Tax From Ownership Of LLC Interest

Iowa Corporation Not Liable For California Corporate Tax From Ownership Of LLC Interest

The reason was that Swart had invested $50,000 in Cypress Equipment Fund XII, LLC.  Swart’s investment in Cypress gave them a 0.2% interest and no management rights.

The California Franchise Tax Board thought that was enough to require Swart to file and pay the minimum tax.  Swart paid, but did not agree.  The company sued for refund.  It argued that either the California statute did not  require them to pay the minimum tax or it was unconstitutional if it did.  Sorry to spoil the suspense, but the Superior Court of California for the County of Fresno ruled in favor of Swart Enterprises.

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