Author Archives: Russ

The Other Big Winners at the World Series of Poker

Congratulations to this year’s winners at the World Series of Poker, run by Harrah’s, and hosted at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The Main Event, the World Championship of Poker, has just been completed. This year, 6,358 … Continue reading

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Another Offshore Scheme Down the Drain

I’ve been saying for some time that offshore trusts and bank accounts set up with no purpose at all (except to avoid US income taxes) are definitely in the cross-hairs of the IRS. Another user of this scheme will be … Continue reading

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There’s Corruption in Chicago? I’m Shocked!

Yeah, right. I’m a native of the Windy City and am anything but shocked. A former Alderman (city councilperson) is now facing 13 federal charges, including tax evasion. Arenda Troutman is accused of using a political committee to hide money … Continue reading

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It Is Difficult to Overemphasize the Breadth and Depth of the Corruption

The title of this post is a quote from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell had appealed his conviction and his sentence on tax fraud charges. The Appeals Court found his conviction and sentence to … Continue reading

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Black Guilty, But Not of Tax Fraud

Remember the Conrad Black trial? Verdicts have come out, and it’s a mixed bag. All of the defendants (along with Black, there were three co-defendants) were found not guilty of not filing corporate tax returns. However, Black was found guilty … Continue reading

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Lighting a Match to Evasion

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

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

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

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

“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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