Author Archives: Russ

Hatch Heads Back to Court

Posted on March 12, 2007 by Russ

Survivor winner, but court loser, Richard Hatch had his appeal heard in Boston last Thursday. Hatch, convicted on multiple counts of tax evasion, is now serving his four-plus year prison term. Hatch is arguing that he should have been able … Continue reading →

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Wal-Mart Fails the Pesticide Tax

Posted on March 9, 2007 by Russ

California has a lot of taxes. One of the taxes that most individuals are not aware of is the pesticide tax. As the DPR notes, “California assesses a fee on all pesticide sales, levied at the point of first sale … Continue reading →

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Complaining Will Get You Trouble…When You’re Guilty

Posted on March 6, 2007 by Russ

Last year I wrote about David Richardson of nearby Huntington Beach. Mr. Richardson was indicted on five counts of tax fraud (filing false claims), after filing multiple phony refund claims. But what made Mr. Richardson special was what he did … Continue reading →

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In The News…

Posted on March 6, 2007 by Russ

CCH’s Federal Tax Weekly has an article on the Tschetschot case. My comments are included in the article. There were two major surprises in the decision: – The IRS conceded that Mrs. Tschetschot was a professional gambler even though she … Continue reading →

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The FTB Does Something Smart

Posted on March 5, 2007 by Russ

I’ve criticized California’s Franchise Tax Board on several occasions. However, I am going to praise them when they deserve it, and this is one of those times. The FTB, in the past, has assessed late payment penalties when payments on … Continue reading →

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Crime Log

Posted on March 4, 2007 by Russ

The last few days have seen a few interesting stories of fraud and deceit in the tax world. We begin in the heart of Texas, travel to the East Coast, and end up with two stories that have a California … Continue reading →

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Impersonation Pays Until Found Out

Posted on March 1, 2007 by Russ

I never inspired to be a football player; I’m just not big. I do enjoy watching football games, as my friends are well aware. Joe Bowden enjoyed a nine-year career as a linebacker with Houston, Tennessee, and Dallas (he’s now … Continue reading →

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Wade Cook to Face Retrial

Posted on March 1, 2007 by Russ

Wade Cook, convicted last week for not reporting all of his income, will be retried on tax fraud charges. Additionally, his wife, who also had a hung jury, will also be retried. The Seattle Times reported that the new trial … Continue reading →

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Tax Court Doesn’t Like the Idea of a Video Poker Professional

Posted on February 28, 2007 by Russ

Today, the Tax Court looked at another unsuccesful gambler who thought he was a professional. This individual, though, gambled at video poker, not live poker (or poker tournaments). Video poker differs substantially from live poker. Instead of playing against other … Continue reading →

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More on Potential Budget Problems

Posted on February 26, 2007 by Russ

The nonparitsan Legislative Analyst’s Office released a report last week which paints a very gloomy picture for California’s finances. Elizabeth Hill, the head of that office, is quoted in the Orange County Register, as saying, “We face a very challenging … Continue reading →

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