Author Archives: Russ

Making IRS Customer Service Look Good

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Russ

It’s hard to make the IRS’s customer service look good. If you get through–and it’s very difficult to reach the IRS, and you will usually be on hold for more than an hour before you do–there’s a good chance the … Continue reading →

Posted in BEA | 1 Comment

Surprise! You Heard About that May 29th Filing Deadline, Right?

Posted on May 27, 2015 by Russ

You’re looking at the headline and wondering what I’m drinking. There’s no May 29th tax deadline, right? Well, yes, that’s correct; however, there is a May 29th government filing deadline that will impact some business owners. The Bureau of Economic … Continue reading →

Posted in BEA | 1 Comment

IRS “Get Transcript” Application Hacked; 104,000 Tax Returns Illegally Accessed

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Russ

This afternoon IRS Commissioner John Koskinen announced that criminals were able to use the IRS “Get Transcript” application to access approximately 104,000 tax returns. (An additional 100,000 or so attempts were unsuccessful.) From the Wall Street Journal: Thieves used the … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 4 Comments

Staking and the WSOP: 2015 Update

Posted on May 25, 2015 by Russ

The 2015 World Series of Poker begins on Wednesday at the Rio Hotel and Casino here in Las Vegas. While many things have changed for this year (for example, the WSOP will have a “Colossus” tournament this coming Friday and … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling | 1 Comment

The Real Impact of the Wynne Decision

Posted on May 19, 2015 by Russ

Yesterday’s decision in Comptroller of the Treasury of Maryland v Wynne Et Ux generated some reporting in print media. Yet much of what I saw was incorrect in part or in whole. New York does give full tax credits for … Continue reading →

Posted in Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Supreme Court, Wisconsin | Tagged | 2 Comments

A Wynne for the Dormant Commerce Clause

Posted on May 18, 2015 by Russ

The US Supreme Court today decided Comptroller of Maryland v. Wynne. The Wynnes, Maryland residents, had out of state income duly reported on both their Maryland tax return and on other state tax returns. They wanted a full credit for … Continue reading →

Posted in Maryland, Supreme Court | 2 Comments

Fake Businesses, Phony Dependents: What Could Go Wrong?

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Russ

I’ve seen reports of Bozo tax preparers inventing deductions and dependents. This is the first time I’ve heard of a tax preparer inventing a business from scratch on a tax return. The results were good…for a while. Ramona Johnson was … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Evasion, Tax Preparation | Tagged | 1 Comment

730

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Russ

It’s a topic that, frankly, bores the media. It’s a topic that the current Administration would love to go away. It’s a topic that should never have arisen. It’s a topic that underlies the current crisis that impacts the IRS. … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 2 Comments

Not All Private Delivery Services Are Equal

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Russ

Back when I was getting my MBA I did a team project about a California company that offers private delivery services in just Southern California. They were competing against FedEx, and they built a regional network. Recently I received an … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 1 Comment

Honesty Is Usually a Good Policy

Posted on May 3, 2015 by Russ

Ronald Jerome Boyd is the Chief of the Los Angeles Port Police. The Port Police are responsible for policing Los Angeles Harbor (which is one of the busiest in the country). Mr. Boyd has been Chief since November 2004 (and … Continue reading →

Posted in California, Tax Evasion | 2 Comments