Author Archives: Russ

American Rights Litigators Has a Cameo Appearance

Do you remember American Rights Litigators (ARL)? They were the outfit that counseled Wesley Snipes so successfully that he’s now enjoying three years at ClubFed. A couple who also believed the snake oil that ARL peddled is likewise about to … Continue reading

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Your Mileage Log: Start It Now!

Today is the first business day of the new year. You may have resolved to keep good records this year (at least, we hope you have). Start with keeping an accurate, contemporaneous written mileage log. Why, you ask? Because if … Continue reading

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House Passes Tax Bill; Most Things Stay the Same for 2012

This evening, the House passed by a 257-167 vote the tax compromise. Here’s what this bill means: Income Tax – For 2013 forward, the Bush tax cuts were permanently extended except for the “wealthy.” That’s defined as $400,000 for individuals, … Continue reading

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A Podcast to Start the New Year

On the day the world didn’t end, I was interviewed for the Thinking Poker podcast. The interview ran about an hour, and it was a lot lighter than most discussions on taxes and gambling. You can download the episode through … Continue reading

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Fiscal Cliff Compromise Deal?

Last night the Senate approved on a compromise deal that averts the “fiscal cliff.” Supposedly, most tax provisions that were to expire are extended in the deal (including the deduction for state income tax, a permanent indexing for the AMT, … Continue reading

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2012 Tax Offender of the Year

It’s time once more for that prestigious award, the 2012 Tax Offender of the Year. To be considered for this award you must do more than cheat on your taxes. It has to be special; it really needs to be … Continue reading

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Is It Time to Take a Casualty Loss on Absolute Poker/Ultimate Bet?

One of the things needed for a casualty loss is certainty. There’s been relatively little of that when dealing with Absolute Poker (AP) and Ultimate Bet (UB) after Black Friday. While PokerStars quickly repaid players, and it appears players will … Continue reading

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Copyrighting a Name or 83 Years

As a published author, I’m very aware of copyrights. The books I’ve written are copyrighted. This blog is copyrighted. That doesn’t prohibit anyone from making an excerpt–that’s covered under “fair use”–but it does prohibit individuals from plagiarizing the blog. That … Continue reading

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Sometimes the Cynics Are Right

Joe Kristan of Roth & Company (a CPA in Des Moines, Iowa, and proprietor of the Roth Tax Update Blog) noted the following this morning: IRS preparer rules may create a catastrophic preparer shortage. A press release last week from … Continue reading

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Excellent Fraud?

Two Georgia tax preparers may have prepared their last returns. Larry Heath and Andy Heath are brothers. Both own and operate tax preparation businesses in northern Georgia. Both have prepared lots of returns, and they likely have very satisfied customers. … Continue reading

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