Most Recent Posts
IRS Scientology “Thirty Years War” – Village Voice Legal Expert Argues “Treaty” Is Unconstitutional
Originally published on Forbes.com on July 14th, 2012 The Katie Holmes - Tom Cruise divorce has brought Scientology into the news. I read a lot more tax decisions...
The Discerning Person’s Guide To The Tax Blogosphere
Image by Jenna Grenbaum. Originally published on Forbes.com on July 13th, 2012 Before I started my own tax blog, I never paid too much attention to tax blogs. This is...
Julian Block Explains How To Save Taxes While Being Kind To Animals
My friend Julian Block seems to have a knack for coming up with practical down to earth tax advice. Frankly, several of his pieces have done a lot better than some of...
If Katie Holmes Has A Problem With Scientology – So Did IRS Until 1993
The Tom Cruise - Katie Holmes divorce has brought Scientology back into the news. It created a little puzzle for me. I constantly run into references to Scientology...
Taxing Marriage To Fund Domestic Violence Grants – Sense Or Nonsense ?
I'm of two minds about Jillian Jacobsen's unsuccessful class action suit against the County Clerk of Du Page County, and the Treasurer and the Attorney General of...
Worker Classification Issue Can Be Worse Than Disallowed Deductions
Whether someone is an employee or an independent contractor is a question of facts and circumstances. Basically this case has almost nothing that leans in favor of independent contractor status. I am citing it more as a cautionary tale for people who think they are all set for an income tax audit and get blindsided from another direction. Many of the IRS audit manuals for different industries emphasize the employer independent contractor issue which can sometimes create a larger deficiency than simply disallowing deductions.
Easy To Trip Up On Alimony Deduction
Here comes another annoying alimony decision. This one has a real gotcha to it. James Chiavacci was paying $500 per month in alimony. After about 13 years of that he...
Zombies And The Estate Tax – Law Professor Questions How Dead Are The Undead ?
Zombie awareness is finally sinking in. Even tax attorneys are getting it. Professor Adam Chodorow is Chair of the Teaching Tax Committee of the ABA’s Tax...
I’ll Take A Scoop Of Broccoli But You Can’t Make Me
We do not consider whether the Act embodies sound policies. That judgment is entrusted to the Nation's elected leaders. We ask only whether Congress has the power under...
Tax Fraud – If You Are Not Going To Listen To Advice Better You Don’t Ask
Anthony and Harriet Jinwright were co-pastors of Greater Salem Church, a venerable institution in Charlotte, NC, that was founded by freed slaves in 1857 as...