Author Archives: Russ

FTB’s New MyFTB Impresses; Will the IRS Take Heed?

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Russ

Submitting a Power of Attorney form to the IRS means I must fax the form to the IRS’s Centralized Authorization File (CAF) unit and hope that the POA is entered in timely. A few years ago authorized e-services providers (which … Continue reading →

Posted in California, IRS | Tagged , | 1 Comment

An Entity a Day Will Keep the IRS Away, Right?

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Russ

Here’s a scheme that’s sure to work to avoid remitting payroll taxes to the IRS. Every day (or week or month), I’ll form a new business entity that’s collecting the tax. Once the amount due to the IRS gets large, … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Evasion | Comments Off on An Entity a Day Will Keep the IRS Away, Right?

Storm Tax Relief for Missouri

Posted on January 24, 2016 by Russ

Possibly lost in the blanket of snow that fell back east was the IRS announcement on Friday granting tax relief for individuals and businesses impacted by the December storms in Missouri. Here is the IRS announcement in full: IRS Provides … Continue reading →

Posted in Missouri | Comments Off on Storm Tax Relief for Missouri

Fail, Caesar! An Update

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Russ

It’s been just over a year since Caesars Entertainment Operating Company (CEOC) declared bankruptcy. If Caesars Management was hoping that the court-appointed examiner would be giving them good news, and that the company would be coming out of bankruptcy unscathed, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling | Tagged | Comments Off on Fail, Caesar! An Update

Texas Attorney General: DFS Illegal in Texas

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Russ

Texas’s Attorney General, Ken Paxton, issued an opinion today that says that daily fantasy sports (DFS) is illegal under Texas law. The crux of Mr. Paxton’s argument is, Under section 47.02 of the Penal Code, a person commits an offense … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling | Tagged | Comments Off on Texas Attorney General: DFS Illegal in Texas

Efiling Opens, But…

Posted on January 19, 2016 by Russ

…It’s likely you can’t file yet. Today the IRS sent out a “QuickAlert for Tax Professionals.” They stated, “Authorized IRS e-file Providers must not submit electronic returns to the IRS prior to the receipt of all Forms W-2, W-2G, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Taxable Talk | Tagged | Comments Off on Efiling Opens, But…

Same as Last Year Doesn’t Work

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Russ

Robert Flach has a post today where he notes the information that’s needed to prepare a tax return. I don’t have much to add to his excellent list (though I do need to see your W-2Gs, too). If you’re one … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Preparation | Tagged | 2 Comments

Those “Extra Services” Were Great for Business

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Russ

Tips are one of those things that are done for many services. When we go out to eat, we normally leave a tip for the servers. I tip when I get my hair cut. A Denver massage parlor owner had … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Evasion | Tagged | Comments Off on Those “Extra Services” Were Great for Business

Lawsuit Filed Over BOE’s Fixer-Upper

Posted on January 17, 2016 by Russ

I’ve reported on California’s Board of Equalization headquarters building in Sacramento on two occasions. It seems some employees of the BOE aren’t happy at all, and have filed a lawsuit against the BOE alleging that the agency has known for … Continue reading →

Posted in California | Tagged | Comments Off on Lawsuit Filed Over BOE’s Fixer-Upper

Wasting Away in HPVille

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Russ

Today was the day my new computer was to have been encrypted. But some things aren’t meant to be: Thanks @hp. You knew that your encryption software on some @hp computers would cause an OS crash requiring a rebuild of … Continue reading →

Posted in Taxable Talk | Tagged | Comments Off on Wasting Away in HPVille