Yearly Archives: 2015

The BEA Responds, or Making IRS Customer Service Look Normal (Bad)

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Russ

On Sunday I penned the post, “Making IRS Customer Service Look Good.” I now need to take that back. Why? I was greeted at 7am this morning by a phone call from an analyst from the Bureau of Economic Affairs. … Continue reading →

Posted in BEA, IRS | 1 Comment

I’m Shocked, Shocked! That a Chicago Attorney may have Committed Tax Evasion Related to Corruption

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Russ

There’s one thing about Illinois politics: Both Democrats and Republicans tend toward corruption. After all, which of the past few governors haven’t gone to prison? The DOJ news release on the indictment of Daniel Soso makes for interesting reading. Sure, … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois, Tax Evasion | 1 Comment

Chipco President Gets 10 Months

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Russ

Back in March I reported on the president of Chipco, John Kendall. Chipco closed a couple of years ago, and most of us in the poker world thought it had to do with the end of the poker boom. That … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Evasion | Comments Off on Chipco President Gets 10 Months

Making IRS Customer Service Look Good

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Russ

It’s hard to make the IRS’s customer service look good. If you get through–and it’s very difficult to reach the IRS, and you will usually be on hold for more than an hour before you do–there’s a good chance the … Continue reading →

Posted in BEA | 1 Comment

Surprise! You Heard About that May 29th Filing Deadline, Right?

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Russ

You’re looking at the headline and wondering what I’m drinking. There’s no May 29th tax deadline, right? Well, yes, that’s correct; however, there is a May 29th government filing deadline that will impact some business owners. The Bureau of Economic … Continue reading →

Posted in BEA | 1 Comment

IRS “Get Transcript” Application Hacked; 104,000 Tax Returns Illegally Accessed

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Russ

This afternoon IRS Commissioner John Koskinen announced that criminals were able to use the IRS “Get Transcript” application to access approximately 104,000 tax returns. (An additional 100,000 or so attempts were unsuccessful.) From the Wall Street Journal: Thieves used the … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 4 Comments

Staking and the WSOP: 2015 Update

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Russ

The 2015 World Series of Poker begins on Wednesday at the Rio Hotel and Casino here in Las Vegas. While many things have changed for this year (for example, the WSOP will have a “Colossus” tournament this coming Friday and … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling | 1 Comment

The Real Impact of the Wynne Decision

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Russ

Yesterday’s decision in Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland v Wynne Et Ux generated some reporting in print media. Yet much of what I saw was incorrect in part or in whole. New York does give full tax credits for … Continue reading →

Posted in Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Supreme Court, Wisconsin | Tagged | 2 Comments

A Wynne for the Dormant Commerce Clause

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Russ

The US Supreme Court today decided Comptroller of Maryland v. Wynne. The Wynnes, Maryland residents, had out of state income duly reported on both their Maryland tax return and on other state tax returns. They wanted a full credit for … Continue reading →

Posted in Maryland, Supreme Court | 2 Comments

Fake Businesses, Phony Dependents: What Could Go Wrong?

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Russ

I’ve seen reports of Bozo tax preparers inventing deductions and dependents. This is the first time I’ve heard of a tax preparer inventing a business from scratch on a tax return. The results were good…for a while. Ramona Johnson was … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Evasion, Tax Preparation | Tagged | 1 Comment