Author Archives: Russ

Lighting a Match to Evasion

Posted on July 12, 2007 by Russ

Quite a bit of tax evasion to report on tonight. We have fuel for the fire (literally), embezzlement, and even a connection to one of my favorites: Wesley Snipes. Starting in Houston, three men decided to make money the third … Continue reading →

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A Different Kind of Death Tax

Posted on July 12, 2007 by Russ

How did I miss this story from the Orange County Register? “ANAHEIM – The former director of UCLA’s Willed Body Program pleaded guilty to federal tax charges after admitting he never paid taxes on tens of thousands of dollars he … Continue reading →

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FTB Sends Erroneous Notices to EAs

Posted on July 11, 2007 by Russ

Spidell is reporting that California’s Franchise Tax Board (FTB) has sent notices to 1,400 tax preparers who are not registered, and threatened each with a $2,500 fine. Only one problem: EAs, CPAs, and attorneys aren’t required to be registered (all … Continue reading →

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An X-Rated Tax

Posted on July 10, 2007 by Russ

Democrats in Sacramento lack nothing in chutzpah. Democratic Assemblyman Charles Calderon is proposing an 8% tax on sexually explicit nightclub acts, sexually explicit pay-per-view movies, X-rated acts in public locations, and sales of sex toys. Forgetting the dubious constitutionality of … Continue reading →

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Don’t Lose My Number

Posted on July 10, 2007 by Russ

“Billy, Billy don’t you lose my number Cos you’re not anywhere That I can find you Oh now Billy, Billy don’t you lose my number Cos you’re not anywhere that I can find you, oh no” (Don’t Lose My Number, … Continue reading →

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Is Antarctica a Foreign Country?

Posted on July 9, 2007 by Russ

Last week I wrote a post about a Tax Court ruling that said that for purposes of §911 of the Internal Revenue Code (the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion) that Antarctica is not a foreign country. Well, one reader wrote me … Continue reading →

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It’s July 9th, California. Do You Know Where Your Budget Is?

Posted on July 9, 2007 by Russ

It’s stuck in the legislature. The California Constitution requires a 2/3 vote in each house of the legislature for the budget to be approved. While the Democrats have a majority in both houses, they do not have a “super-majority” and … Continue reading →

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Pennsylvania Shuts Down, Sort Of

Posted on July 9, 2007 by Russ

The Keystone State is having a budget crisis. Governor Ed Rendell (D) has ordered a shutdown of all non-essential state services in Pennsylvania. The problem? There’s no approved state budget, and with the fiscal year having begun the state has … Continue reading →

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What’s the ClubFed Party Scene Like?

Posted on July 5, 2007 by Russ

That’s probably one of the thoughts going through Timothy Heffner’s mind right now. Mr. Heffner, of Pittsburgh, pleaded guilty to fraud, conspiracy and tax evasion charges on Tuesday. Mr. Heffner, according to the story in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “entertained on … Continue reading →

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Muni Bonds After “United Haulers”

Posted on July 5, 2007 by Russ

As I mentioned in May, the Supreme Court will be looking at the taxing of municipal bonds later this year (Department of Revenue v. Davis). There’s an interesting article that I found that analyzes what the Supreme Court will likely … Continue reading →

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