Author Archives: Russ

No Budget Yet

Posted on September 28, 2010 by Russ

There’s no budget, but negotiations are scheduled to continue tomorrow. This story in the San Jose Mercury leads me to believe we’re still a couple of days away from an agreement, and likely at least a week from a vote. … Continue reading →

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Budget Framework Reportedly Reached

Posted on September 24, 2010 by Russ

News reports state that a “framework for a budget deal has been reached” and that the Big Five (Governor Schwarzenegger and the Democratic and Republican legislative leaders) plan on working through the weekend to hammer out the details. The goal … Continue reading →

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Sacramento Bound

Posted on September 23, 2010 by Russ

California doesn’t have a budget. When I return home from Sacramento on Sunday, California will not have a budget. It’s probable that when we vote in the mid-term elections in 40 days that California will not have a budget. Why … Continue reading →

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Congress, Obama, and Small Business

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Russ

I’m a small business owner. I’m now reasonably successful, but I look warily at what’s coming down the pipeline in Washington (and Sacramento, for that matter) and don’t like what I see. Today, I read a great post on the … Continue reading →

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Bozo Preparer Gets Four Years

Posted on September 21, 2010 by Russ

When I last reported on this story, I noted that Gayle McIntyre only received 54 years the previous time she committed tax fraud. Luckily for her, that sentence was suspended. She didn’t learn from the past. In January she was … Continue reading →

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It Depends on the Meaning of the Word “Is” Is

Posted on September 20, 2010 by Russ

I’m sure many of you remember this humorous interlude during the presidency of Bill Clinton: Why do I bring this up? Because it goes to the heart of a question asked by fellow tax blogger Robert Flach. Mr. Flach, who … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 1 Comment

Sugar, Sugar

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Russ

When I think of sugar, I think of the sweetener you put into a cup of coffee. Or perhaps this song: But this is a tax blog, so we’re going to deal with something different…something very different. The Sugar House … Continue reading →

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One From the Police Blotter

Posted on September 19, 2010 by Russ

A rather obvious case of Bozo behavior showed up this past week. Let’s head to Newark, New Jersey. Leslie Wofford was a police communications officer with the Newark Police Department. Back in 2004 Officer Wofford wanted to increase her take-home … Continue reading →

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Another Reason Not to be a Philadelphia Business

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Russ

I don’t think highly of California’s business climate. Still, things could be worse: I could be in Philadelphia. The City of Brotherly Love has sunk to a new low. After going after penny-ante bloggers the city’s Revenue Department has been … Continue reading →

Posted in Pennsylvania | Tagged | 1 Comment

“Hello, students. I defrauded the government.”

Posted on September 13, 2010 by Russ

Back in 2009, the Department of Justice indicted Jeff Greenstein and Charles Wilk, the former CEO and attorney for Quellos Group, LLC. The DOJ accused the pair of masterminding a tax scheme that turned capital gains into, well, dust. The … Continue reading →

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