Author Archives: Russ

Yes, Two States Rank Lower than California

It’s not all bad news in the Tax Foundation’s 2016 State Business Tax Climate Index for California. You could always be in New York or New Jersey. Still, it’s better to be elsewhere. Two excerpts from the article note why … Continue reading

Posted in California, Nevada, New Jersey, New York | 1 Comment

Wrong Font Size Costs 30 Employees Their Jobs in Chico, California

I had never heard of Woof & Poof. The company makes handcrafted baby products, but apparently not for long in their home of Chico, California. According to this news story, the company is stopping production. Why? The CEO, Roger Hart, … Continue reading

Posted in California | Comments Off on Wrong Font Size Costs 30 Employees Their Jobs in Chico, California

Don’t Go to Lawrence Siegel to Have Your Taxes Done

There are good tax preparers, bad tax preparers, and then there’s Lawrence Seigel. Mr. Siegel, who resigned from the California bar in 1994 and lost his CPA license in 1997 after being convicted of tax evasion (among other crimes) also … Continue reading

Posted in Tax Fraud | 1 Comment

Colorado Voters to Get the Chance to Add 10% Payroll Tax for Single-Payer Health Insurance

Colorado voters will get the chance to add a 10% payroll tax next year to fund universal health insurance. The 10% payroll tax–which is on top of all other federal and state taxes–would be on employees pay. Self-employed individuals would … Continue reading

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The Real Winners of the World Series of Poker (2015 Edition)

Nine individuals came to Las Vegas over the last three days to compete for the championship at the World Series of Poker (WSOP). Who would be the lucky winner? And who really got to keep the money? Last year the … Continue reading

Posted in Gambling | 8 Comments

DFS Gets the Boot in New York

New York State’s Attorney General, Eric Schneiderman, sent a letter to DraftKings and Fan Duel ordering them to cease offering their Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) wagers games to New Yorkers. According to both ABC and ESPN, Attorney General Schneiderman sent … Continue reading

Posted in Gambling, New York | Tagged | Comments Off on DFS Gets the Boot in New York

About 9,000 Businesses Left California During Good Economic Times

Yesterday a friend sent me a link to Joseph Vranich’s report on businesses leaving California. I should know: I’m one of the 9,000 businesses that did so. Mr. Vranich analyzed business relocations from 2008-2014. He identified 1,510 “disinvestment events”–companies leaving … Continue reading

Posted in California | 1 Comment

Cleveland Loses on Monday (and They Didn’t Even Play)

Pity the poor Cleveland Browns. Last Thursday they lost to the Cincinnati Bengals 31-10. This morning, the City of Cleveland lost at the US Supreme Court, 2-0. The Supreme Court refused, without comment, to hear Cleveland’s appeal of their “Jock … Continue reading

Posted in Ohio | Tagged | 1 Comment

Chaka Fattah, Jr. Guilty of Tax and Fraud Charges

Chaka Fattah Jr., son of Democratic Congressman Chaka Fattah Sr. (D-PA), was found guilty on Friday of 22 of 23 tax and fraud charges. As the Department of Justice press release notes, Between 2005 and 2012, Fattah Jr.: made false … Continue reading

Posted in Tax Fraud | 1 Comment

Time Running Out on the Miccosukee Tribe’s Battle with the IRS

I have sympathy when taxpayers battle the IRS over legitimate issues. Indeed, I’m all for fighting the IRS when they’re (imho) wrong. However, fighting quixotic battles when you are wrong isn’t a good idea. The Miccosukee Tribe in Florida is … Continue reading

Posted in Gambling, IRS, Tax Court | Tagged | 1 Comment