Author Archives: Russ

Illinois Increased Taxes But Is Still Broke

You are insolvent when the money you owe (your liabilities) are more than the money you have (your assets). Illinois has been in desperate financial trouble for some time; this won’t be news to readers of this blog. Earlier this … Continue reading

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I Hope You Enjoyed that $2.4 Million

I’ve said this before, and I’m certain I’ll say it again: If you want to get in trouble with the IRS, the fastest way to do so is to not remit your federal employment taxes. These are called trust fund … Continue reading

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New York $1.2 Million, Indians 0

I may be a baseball fan, but this post has nothing to do with the Cleveland Indians. Rather, here’s the latest chapter in New York’s war against Indian tribes selling cigarettes. In June, a New York Appellate Court lifted an … Continue reading

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IRS Philadelpia Service Center Has Moved

In a phone call today with the Taxpayer Advocate in Philadelphia, I learned that the IRS Service Center in Philadelphia moved, with the final personnel moving into the “new” office in January. The new address is: Internal Revenue Service 2970 … Continue reading

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Only in California: $440.5 Million in Extra Revenue Is $350 Million Short

Here in the Bronze Golden State, the state income numbers for June have just come in. Collections came in better than forecast by $440.5 Million. That seems good, but it’s not quite good enough to meet California’s budget. That budget … Continue reading

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Two Baltimore Bail Bondsmen Found Taxes to be the Least of Their Problems

Many businesses require licenses. In Maryland, you need a license to be a bail bondsmen (I suspect you do in most states). One of the rules in Maryland is that you can’t be a convicted felon if you’re a bail … Continue reading

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Denver Madam Pleads Guilty

Late last year, I reported on Brenda Stewart. Ms. Stewart owned Denver Sugar and Denver Players, a prostitution ring that, per the Denver Post, catered to the high-end of Denver society. The problem for Ms. Stewart wasn’t the call-girl ring; … Continue reading

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Hawaii Tries for #1

What state has the highest individual income tax rate in the United States? No, it’s not California. Sorry, New York isn’t the place either. Oregon just misses out on the top spot. It’s Hawaii. And Hawaii is adding to the … Continue reading

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When Your Computer Takes the Day Off

Last Sunday, my computer decided that it wanted to take a vacation. Now, I believe there’s a religion where mechanical devices have souls (Shintoism?), but I don’t believe that. But try as I might my computer had enough of me. … Continue reading

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California Passes Amazon Tax; California to Lose Tax Revenue

As part of the recent budget, California implemented an Amazon tax. There were two components of the tax. First, any business with affiliates in the Bronze Golden State must collect sales tax on Internet sales. Second, any business with subsidiaries … Continue reading

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