Monthly Archives: February 2014

He Cracked the Code (but Won’t be Happy with the Result)

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Russ

Back in 2007, Peter Hendrickson wrote a book titled Cracking the Code: The Fascinating Truth About Taxation in America. I haven’t read it, nor would I advise you to. Today, Judge Buch of the Tax Court demolished each and every … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Court | Tagged , | 2 Comments

No Margin for Error

Posted on February 26, 2014 by Russ

Nevada is known for low taxes. It’s also known for subpar schools and relatively low teacher salaries. The Nevada State Education Association (aka the teachers union) decided that a solution to the problem of subpar schools was a tax on … Continue reading →

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California State Senator Ron Calderon Indicted on Bribery & Tax Charges

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Russ

This hasn’t been a good year for Democratic state senators in California. Back in January State Senator Roderick White of Inglewood was convicted of five counts of voter fraud, two counts of perjury, and one count of filing a false … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Tax Fraud | Tagged | 1 Comment

Taxes and Daily Fantasy Sports: The Duck Test

Posted on February 23, 2014 by Russ

If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it just may be a duck. So said someone (this quote has been attributed to Walter Reuther among others), and it’s one of those … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling | Tagged | 4 Comments

What Are the Tax Impacts of the FullTiltPoker Remission Payments?

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Russ

In less than one week, many poker players will finally receive their balances that they had at FullTiltPoker when that online poker site was shut down as a result of “Black Friday.” According to the Garden City Group (the claims … Continue reading →

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The Fun With the Two-Month Automatic Extension Continues

Posted on February 20, 2014 by Russ

I’ve been having issues with clients who take the automatic two-month extension. As I learned years ago, a taxpayer outside of the United States on April 15th gets two extra months to file his return. This is noted in Treasury … Continue reading →

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Tax on the Run Owners Run to ClubFed

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Russ

Here’s a scheme for you: The government has set up this new tax credit worth thousands of dollars. What if we find some impoverished individuals, have them fill out tax returns claiming this credit, and we pocket all that cash? … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Fraud | 1 Comment

Utopia Is Dead

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Russ

A perfect place. That’s what comes to my mind when I hear the word “utopia.” Vincent and Mary Giamo had a different idea; Utopia was their nightclub in Orchard Park, New York (near Buffalo). It was quite successful as they … Continue reading →

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Texas’s Gain Is California’s Loss

Posted on February 16, 2014 by Russ

Today a client asked me about where to relocate her company headquarters. Her computer engineers aren’t thrilled with the current location, and would like to move to either California or Texas. I explained the decision has a cost difference of … Continue reading →

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DC Court of Appeals Rules Against IRS: Loving Decision Upheld

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Russ

This morning the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia unanimously upheld the district court’s decision in Loving v. IRS. This means that the IRS’s goal of mandating licensing for all tax professionals is dead. At some future … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 1 Comment