Author Archives: Russ

Forgetting the “Charitable” In Charitable Poker Leads to Trouble

Stanley Combs allegedly had a nice little business in West Carollton, Ohio. He owned and operated a Fraternal Order of Orioles lodge. But it appears the side business he supposedly ran was the real money maker. He ran poker tournaments. … Continue reading

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Selling W-2s

At year-end, most of us get a W-2 showing our wages earned. Most of us don’t purchase a W-2. There’s a good reason for that: Our employers complete it and send it to us (with a copy to the IRS). … Continue reading

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SuperSeminar Time

I’m heading to the annual CSEA SuperSeminar. Posting will be light to non-existent until next Thursday, May 13th.

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It Was Only Unexpected for the Legislature…

The Los Angeles Times story starts, State tax collections plummeted unexpectedly in April, wiping out months of steady gains that legislators hoped would ease their budget troubles and restore California’s economy faster than experts predicted. Perhaps the Legislature or newspaper … Continue reading

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Pennsylvania Goes for Big Brother

Via the TaxProf Blog and others comes this horrendous advertisement from Pennsylvania: I have nothing against Pennsylvania’s tax amnesty. I have everything against Big Brother-like methods for collecting taxes…even in a commercial.

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Bad Medicine

Taxes are always tough to stomach. A group of doctors in North Platte, Nebraska thought they found the perfect solution: A California CPA’s phony Nevada Corporations to shield taxes. This was definitely a case where the prescription was worse than … Continue reading

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Of Strip Clubs, Doormen, Taxi Drivers, and Ca$h

I’ve made plenty of posts on strip clubs and how some owners of these clubs manage to “forget” to report all of their cash income. Well, I’m heading to Las Vegas next week for the annual California Society of Enrolled … Continue reading

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Bondage Broken So Now They’re In Bondage

There’s nothing like the Church of the Everlasting Tax Break. What–you haven’t heard of that church? Well, what about the Temple of the Holy Deduction? Missed that one, too? How about the Bondage Breakers Ministry? That one rings a bell. … Continue reading

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34 Years of Evading and the Holocaust

Jack Barouh founded Michele Watches, a luxury brand. He sold the company to Fossil, Inc. in 2004 for $50 million. Mr. Barouh, a Holocaust survivor, in another American success story. But Mr. Barouh had a problem. He remembered the holocaust, … Continue reading

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Two Sets of Books Are Not Better than One

Most businesses maintain a set of books: the accounting records that show the income and expenses of the business. Most businesses keep accurate books. After all, it’s important to know how profitable the business really is. Other businesses, though, like … Continue reading

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