Author Archives: Russ

A Ship Over Troubled Waters Sinks Leeds’ Cellino For Now

Posted on December 1, 2014 by Russ

From the Sport (not Sports) page of the Telegraph and the BBC we find that Leeds beat league-leading Derby two to nil in football (or soccer for us colonials). Derby manager Steve McClaren was quoted by the BBC: “It’s just … Continue reading →

Posted in International | Comments Off on A Ship Over Troubled Waters Sinks Leeds’ Cellino For Now

As God as my Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly

Posted on November 26, 2014 by Russ

Have a Happy Thanksgiving everyone:

Posted in Taxable Talk | Comments Off on As God as my Witness, I Thought Turkeys Could Fly

One Ringy Dingy, Two Ringy Dingies…

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Russ

…2400 Ringy Dingies. Yes, I was on hold for two hours today on the IRS Practitioner Priority Service before my call was picked up. It’s November–not a high time for calling the IRS–but add the combination of the IRS Centralized … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Would the Proprietors of “I Married an Idiot” Commit Tax Fraud?

Posted on November 20, 2014 by Russ

Sometimes you can’t make this stuff up. Perhaps you missed the website imarriedanidiot.com. The website is down, but thanks to the Internet Archive it will continue to be accessible. I’ll leave it to the reader to peruse the web site. … Continue reading →

Posted in Tax Fraud | 1 Comment

IRS Clarifies Electronic Signature Requirements

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Russ

The IRS released a new version of Publication 1345 today (html version only is available for now). Included in it is the following: Note: An electronic signature via remote transaction does not include handwritten signatures on Forms 8878 or 8879 … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 1 Comment

The Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Upcoming Tax Season

Posted on November 16, 2014 by Russ

If you’re a tax professional here’s a warning: The 2015 Tax Season will be one you’re almost certain to remember for all the wrong reasons. If you’re a client of a tax professional be forewarned: Your tax professional will be … Continue reading →

Posted in IRS | Tagged | 4 Comments

London Calling: The Real Winners of the 2014 World Series of Poker

Posted on November 12, 2014 by Russ

Nine individuals came to Las Vegas on Monday and Tuesday 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? You will notice a … Continue reading →

Posted in Gambling | 1 Comment

Since the Dead Vote, Why Can’t They Get Tax Exemptions?

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Russ

I grew up in Chicago. It’s legendary in Chicago that the dead vote. My father told me that during the 1960 presidential election that Democrats waited to see how many of the dead they needed to vote to ensure that … Continue reading →

Posted in Illinois, Property Taxes | 1 Comment

Alabama Trying Pop Quizzes to Prevent Identity Theft Refunds

Posted on November 9, 2014 by Russ

An AP Story notes that states are also trying to crack down on identity theft tax refunds. Alabama will be trying pop quizzes. No, not the pop quizzes you had in school but questions related to your identity (e.g. Did … Continue reading →

Posted in Alabama | Tagged | Comments Off on Alabama Trying Pop Quizzes to Prevent Identity Theft Refunds

Nevada Goes Deep Red

Posted on November 5, 2014 by Russ

Do you remember 1928? Well, that was the last time Nevada had a Republican governor, a Republican State Assembly, a Republican State Senate, and Republicans holding all major statewide offices. Well, 2015 will see that. As part of the tsunami … Continue reading →

Posted in Nevada | 1 Comment