Author Archives: Russ

A Big Case for the Supreme Court Later this Year

Posted on May 21, 2007 by Russ

The Supreme Court doesn’t decide many tax cases. They’re usually not that interesting, and it’s rare to see a split among the different circuits in a tax issue. However, a very important tax case will be decided in the next … Continue reading →

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A Dose of Fraud to End the Week

Posted on May 17, 2007 by Russ

The fraudsters have been active in the tax realm this week. We’ve got stories from across the country. We’ll start in Youngstown, Ohio, where Ronald Wells had an idea of how to increase his $1/hour pay as a prisoner at … Continue reading →

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What If a Casino Decides to Ignore the Rules?

Posted on May 17, 2007 by Russ

Suppose you’re a poker player, and you are backed (sponsored) by a friend. You’ve agreed with your friend that for the money that he has given you, you will give him 50% of your winnings. You complete the IRS Form … Continue reading →

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Partially Up In Smoke

Posted on May 15, 2007 by Russ

The Tax Court today looked into whether a non-profit corporation that provides help to the terminally ill and provides medical marijuana to the terminally ill is allowed to deduct its operating costs. The non-profit, Californians Helping to Alleviate Medical Problems, … Continue reading →

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Some Good News for California…But Will the Legislature Spend the Money?

Posted on May 14, 2007 by Russ

State tax collections in April have exceeded projections, a pleasant change for California fiscal authorities. As of April 19th, the Central Valley Business Times reported that California has a $1.9 billion surplus compared to a $1 billion deficit in January. … Continue reading →

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Why I Haven’t Been Covering the Conrad Black Trial

Posted on May 14, 2007 by Russ

Because Mark Steyn is. You haven’t hear of Mark Steyn? You haven’t read Mark Steyn? His daily column is available on his web site. His column is carried by many newspapers, including the Orange County Register. He appears weekly on … Continue reading →

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Holy Housing in Los Angeles?

Posted on May 12, 2007 by Russ

Back in 2005, I reported on the Orange County Sewage District’s hiring of a spiritual counselor. The idea of spiritual sewage made me laugh…at least, I’m not in the OCSD so the tax dollars didn’t come out of my pockets. … Continue reading →

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Tax & Spend Doesn’t Have to Happen

Posted on May 12, 2007 by Russ

The Presidential election in still 18 months away, but campaigning is in full swing. I haven’t decided who I’m going to vote for, but I have decided on one candidate I won’t vote for. Former Senator John Edwards (D-NC) is … Continue reading →

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Los Angeles Cell Phone Tax Increase Invalid

Posted on May 10, 2007 by Russ

The California Court of Appeals upheld a District Court ruling that the City of Los Angeles increase in their tax on cellular phone service was invalid. The City will likely appeal the decision to the State Supreme Court. The case … Continue reading →

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IRS Mailing Incorrect CP2000 Notices

Posted on May 10, 2007 by Russ

The IRS announced that they have mailed some incorrect CP2000 notices. The notices state that the impacted individuals are not including their state tax refund as income when they were impacted by the AMT in the prior year; the notices … Continue reading →

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