Category Archives: California

It Was Only a 13.33% Kickback

Posted on February 7, 2016 by Russ

Last year I reported on the case of Ronald Boyd. Mr. Boyd was Chief of Police of the Port of Los Angeles. The ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are two of the busiest ports in the world, and … Continue reading →

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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

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 →

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FTB Wins Gillette Appeal

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Russ

California’s Franchise Tax Board won the appeal of Gillette v. Franchise Tax Board. This opinion covers taxation of multi-state entities in California prior to 2012. Gillette (and several other companies) argued that the FTB’s weighing of the “sales” factor higher … Continue reading →

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My Love/Hate Relationship with the FTB

Posted on December 1, 2015 by Russ

For those who don’t know, I used to reside in California. I prepare more California tax returns than any other state’s returns (though it is no longer a majority–or even close to a majority–of my clients). I have a lot … Continue reading →

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The Turf Monster Striketh

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Russ

Every so often the turf monster trips a player in a football or baseball game. Here’s one example: This post deals with a very different kind of turf monster. Back in September I wrote about Southern California’s Metropolitan Water District … Continue reading →

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Yes, Two States Rank Lower than California

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Russ

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

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Russ

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 →

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About 9,000 Businesses Left California During Good Economic Times

Posted on November 10, 2015 by Russ

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 →

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California DMV Deliberately Overcharging on Sales Tax

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Russ

When you purchase a car in California, you owe sales tax based on where the car is registered. The California DMV uses a table based on ZIP Codes to determine what that should be. For 90% or more of California, … Continue reading →

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