Author Archives: Russ

When Is a Tax Increase Not a Tax Increase?

Posted on June 26, 2006 by Russ

My parents live in the San Fernando Valley, an area within the City of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Daily News has an interesting story on how Los Angeles increased the trash pickup fee by 254% without having to take … Continue reading →

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Two Tax Increases for November Ballot

Posted on June 21, 2006 by Russ

Californians have signed enough petitions so that two tax measures will be on the November ballot. One would increase the cigarette tax to make it the most expensive in the state; the other would add an ‘oil severance’ tax, taxing … Continue reading →

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Independent Contractor or Employee?

Posted on June 21, 2006 by Russ

That’s one of the most vexing questions for the business owner. Is your staff employees, or can they be classified as independent contractors? The IRS has a webpage devoted to helping taxpayers make the classification choice. Employers must withhold payroll … Continue reading →

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End of Phone Tax Impacts California

Posted on June 18, 2006 by Russ

The end of the phone tax that funded the Spanish-American War may impact California. According to this story in the San Jose Mercury-News, many local entities in California tied their telecommunications tax to the federal tax. Some of the ordinances … Continue reading →

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Crime Blog

Posted on June 18, 2006 by Russ

There’s going to be a week when I won’t be able to find a tax cheat. That will be the week I’m on vacation…. We start in Tucson, Arizona, where a California man took elderly Tucson residents as clients of … Continue reading →

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What You Do in Salem Won’t Stay in Salem…

Posted on June 15, 2006 by Russ

It’s a nice, Spring day, and you’re relaxing in your office at the Oregon Department of Revenue. All that’s on your desk is a stack of tax returns. So why not browse some pornography on the Internet? Well, you’re now … Continue reading →

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Campbell Gets 2 1/2 Years

Posted on June 13, 2006 by Russ

We previously reported the sad case of William Campbell. The ex-Mayor of Atlanta was sentenced today to 2 1/2 years in prison for tax evasion. Campbell plans on appealing the sentence. News Story: MSNBC

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Washington 3, Indians 0

Posted on June 13, 2006 by Russ

The Tax Court today looked at three cases where Native Americans claimed that they did not owe income tax because they’re Native Americans. Section 1 of the Tax Code states that all income is taxable. As the Court noted, “Native … Continue reading →

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Youngstown, California

Posted on June 11, 2006 by Russ

My writing partner lives in Youngstown, Ohio. The last time I checked a map it was over 2000 miles from the Bronze Golden State. However, the Board of Equalization must look at different maps. According to this column in the … Continue reading →

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IRS Fresno Wrongly Denied Extensions

Posted on June 7, 2006 by Russ

According to the Fresno IRS Service Center, around 40,000 to 50,000 extensions filed using Form 4868 were wrongly denied at the Fresno IRS campus. Most of the forms were transmitted in bulk via paid preparers. The IRS is now notifying … Continue reading →

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