Monthly Archives: March 2014

The Moral Climate may have Changed but the Law Hasn’t

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Russ

Another professional gambler went to Tax Court seeking to stop Section 165(d) of the Tax Code–the section that stops a gambler from deducting losses in excess of wins. This ended up being a full decision of the Tax Court, so … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling, Tax Court | 1 Comment

False Checks, Trusts, and Ignoring Taxes Lead to Real Prison

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Russ

Perhaps Michael Williams subconsciously wanted to go to ClubFed. He sure did just about everything he could to make sure he did. Let’s run down the list of things he did. First, have a business that makes money and not … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Fraud | 1 Comment

Regulating Tax Preparers Always Prevents Tax Preparer Fraud (Not True, of Course)

Posted on March 9, 2014 by Russ

I’m generally a supporter of the National Association of Enrolled Agents and its policies. However, I disagree with the idea that both the NAEA and the IRS have that regulating tax preparers will magically make preparer fraud go away. It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Preparation | Tagged , | 4 Comments

Your Check Might Not be in the Mail

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Russ

I used to live in Orange County, California. Earlier this week a US Postal Service caught fire as it was heading toward an airport after leaving the Santa Ana mail sorting center. So if you mailed something on Monday, March … Continue reading →

Posted in California, IRS | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Las Vegas Culinary Union Should Look at a Calendar Before Calling EAs in March

Posted on March 6, 2014 by Russ

The Las Vegas Culinary Union (formally, Local 226 of the Culinary Union) doesn’t like non-union casinos here in Las Vegas. One such casino is the Cosmopolitan Hotel. It’s one of the newest of Las Vegas’s mega-resorts, and it’s a beautiful … Continue reading →

Posted in Las Vegas | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Las Vegas Culinary Union Should Look at a Calendar Before Calling EAs in March

Deadlines for Us, but Not for Them

Posted on March 4, 2014 by Russ

I was on the phone today with the IRS about a client. Back in October he received an IRS notice regarding his 2012 return. We believed the IRS notice was incorrect. With this particular notice the only option was to … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | 3 Comments

“Just Pay the Five Dollars….”

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Russ

That’s one of my favorite lines from one of my favorite movies, North by Northwest. In that classic movie, Cary Grant’s character gets drunk and, well, I’ll be giving away some of the movie if I went on. In any … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Evasion | Comments Off on “Just Pay the Five Dollars….”

Former Chairman of Woodland Park, NJ Democratic Committee Bribes His Way to ClubFed

Posted on March 2, 2014 by Russ

The IRS has its problems, but accepting bribes isn’t one of them. The former chairman of the Woodland Park, New Jersey Democratic Committee found that out the hard way. Michael Kazmark didn’t pay his 1997-2005 federal taxes; he owed just … Continue reading →

Posted in New Jersey, Tax Fraud | 1 Comment