Author Archives: Russ

IRS Opens for All

The IRS announced this morning that they are now accepting all forms for all returns. All of those delayed forms (including passive activities and a host of tax credit forms) are now being supported through both electronic filing and paper … Continue reading

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A Sure-Fire Way to Get Indicted

There are many ways to get in trouble with tax law. As I have said in the past, if you want to get indicted it’s a bit harder. It helps to be a celebrity, have a very large tax debt, … Continue reading

Posted in Tax Fraud | 1 Comment

It’s 6,219 Miles from Calumet City to Amman

What does Calumet City, Illinois have in common with Amman, Jordan? To be honest, not very much at all. However, this story begins in Calumet City and takes a detour through Amman before ending in Chicago (with a probable side … Continue reading

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There’s No Fraud Like Giant-Sized Fraud

When I read of a sentence that includes eight years at ClubFed and restitution of $190 million, that gets my interest. Donna Guerin is the former attorney who was sentenced yesterday in New York. Ms. Guerin was an attorney who … Continue reading

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News From California Regarding QSBS

Two pieces of news out of California regarding the Qualified Small Business Stock situation. For those who aren’t aware, a court last year ruled that California couldn’t discriminate against out-of-state Qualified Small Business Stock (QSB). The Franchise Tax Board interpreted … Continue reading

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Important Court Ruling for Entities Owned by Californians Located Outside of California

Let’s say you have a business entity, Widgets, Inc. It’s a Nevada corporation; the corporation is located in Las Vegas. The business has no operations in California but it is a corporation with one owner who resides in California. However, … Continue reading

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Illinois’ Pension Problems Get Worse; Lottery Checks Bounce

Two stories out of Illinois that are, perhaps, linked. First, the Illinois Lottery forgot to send some money to their bank. While a spokesperson for the Illinois Lottery said it was a mistake, one would think that balancing the checkbook … Continue reading

Posted in Illinois, Pensions | 1 Comment

Hurry Up and Wait: What the New Jersey Online Gambling Bill’s Passage Really Means

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law a bill authorizing online gambling in New Jersey. I’ve seen tweets from friends saying things like, “Great! Christie legalizes online poker in New Jersey.” Well, that’s not exactly what happened. While I’d … Continue reading

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Mailbag

We get mail: I moved to California in 2012, and earned just $5,000 while in California versus a lot of money outside of the state. Yet those robbers want me to pay based on my overall income. This can’t be … Continue reading

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The Goal of Profit Making Businesses Is to Make Profits

I resisted the urge this morning to make another pun; besides, Tony Nitti already did with his headline, “Former NFL Tough Guy Bill Romanowski Gets Laid Out By Tax Court.” Yesterday, the Tax Court decided two cases related to horse … Continue reading

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