Monthly Archives: December 2011

2011 Tax Offender of the Year

Posted on December 31, 2011 by Russ

It’s time again to be considered for that most prestigious of awards, the Tax Offender of the Year. To be considered for the Tax Offender of the Year award, you must do more than cheat on your taxes. It has … Continue reading →

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Norway Demands $30 Million from Absolute Poker

Posted on December 28, 2011 by Russ

Absolute Poker, the now more-or-less defunct company that included UltimateBet, has been hit with a 180 million Norwegian Kroner tax bill ($29.9 million) by the Norwegian tax agency, Skatteetaten. The tax agency accuses Absolute Poker of running 430 million Kroner … Continue reading →

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IRS Acquiesces to Decision in Mayo v. Commissioner

Posted on December 27, 2011 by Russ

The IRS has acquiesced to the decision in Mayo v. Commissioner; this decision will be published in the January 17, 2012 issue of the Internal Revenue Bulliten according to Linda Beale. The Mayo case allows a professional gambler to deduct … Continue reading →

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Nominees Due for Tax Offender of the Year

Posted on December 23, 2011 by Russ

With just one week left in 2011, it’s time again for anyone to submit a nominee for the Tax Offender of the Year. To be considered for the Tax Offender of the Year award, the individual must do more than … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Evasion | Comments Off on Nominees Due for Tax Offender of the Year

Casualty Losses, Constructive Receipt and Full Tilt Poker

Posted on December 21, 2011 by Russ

I’ve been asked numerous times over the past few weeks one question by poker players: “Can I take a casualty loss on the money I have tied up on Full Tilt Poker?” The answer is a definite maybe, but even … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling, IRS | Tagged | 8 Comments

Psychic Help Wasn’t Good for Clients, but Was Great for the Psychic…Until Caught

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Russ

I’ve been told that a psychic is supposed to know and foretell the future. Nancy Marks was a psychic in Lafayette, Colorado. She had a unique–and quite illegal–method of obtaining income. She warned her clients that there was evil lurking … Continue reading →

Posted in Colorado, Tax Evasion | 1 Comment

We’re Back, But Will the Sales Tax Deduction Come Back in 2012?

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Russ

I’ve moved into my new office, and everything is more-or-less running correctly in my new office in Las Vegas. There’s a new fax number (yes, there’s a real fax machine in my office) for those who need to send me … Continue reading →

Posted in Nevada, Sales Tax | Comments Off on We’re Back, But Will the Sales Tax Deduction Come Back in 2012?

Only $16,788 Per Phony Child

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Russ

The saga of the woman who did not give birth to nondecuplets is complete. Via Joe Kristan comes word that Norma Coronel made a plea deal and was ordered to repay the IRS $302,186. Though the linked story states she … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Fraud | Comments Off on Only $16,788 Per Phony Child

California Has Lost Over 720,000 Taxpayers & $48 Billion of AGI From US Migration From 1993-2008

Posted on December 6, 2011 by Russ

My move to the Silver State has gotten some comments from two other tax bloggers, Joe Kristan (Roth Tax Updates) and Paul Caron (TaxProf Blog). In the TaxProf Blog post, there’s a link to statistics on migration from within the … Continue reading →

Posted in California | 1 Comment

When Silver Is Better than Gold

Posted on December 2, 2011 by Russ

Today’s closing price for silver is $32.72 an ounce. Meanwhile, Gold is $1,749.35 an ounce. So how can silver be better than gold? If you’ve been a reader of this blog, you’ve seen me write numerous times about California’s tax … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Nevada, Taxable Talk | 12 Comments