Dave Barry’s Tax News

According to Dave Barry, we will soon have to also file a shadow tax return in order to finance the new shadow Federal government.

Another big change: Taxpayers who do not itemize their deductions may now file their tax returns via Etch A Sketch. This is part of the IRS’s new modernization program.

KMK

That’s Why We Have Rulers In DC

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we were all given a chance to keep our tax dollars and spend them the way in which we felt best instead of allowing the elected geniuses in DC to make those decisions? That’s just not how it works. These anti-war activists are playing with fire in refusing to send in their taxes. I’m sure we could all think of several programs that we don’t want supported by our tax dollars. We can’t just refuse to pay our taxes. We have to select rulers who will spend according to our wishes.

KMK

Tax Simplification – Not

If anyone needs a reminder of what a mess our rulers in DC have created, here’s an interesting summary.

It includes a point I was making with a client yesterday. If anyone gripes about how long it takes their tax pro to prepare their tax return, just take a look at the official time that IRS itself says a tax return should take, as shown in their instruction booklets. For a 1040, IRS claims the average person should expect to spend 28 hours. Paying a CPA for two or three hours of time doesn’t look so bad now, does it?

KMK

Do It Right Or Else!

As the normal Tax Day approaches, IRS is releasing a slew of stories such as this one, indicating that they are ratcheting up their audit & investigation efforts. How subtle.

KMK

A Taste of Their Own Medicine

It has been widely documented that the Clinton Organized Crime Family used the IRS as its personal Hit Team to attack anyone who was critical of them. At the same time, IRS was instructed to turn a blind eye while leftist organizations blatantly violated the rules for tax exempt entities that prohibit political activities.

Now that there is someone in the White House who has more respect for the law, there are attempts to hold the leftist groups to the law. As this story explains, some outside groups are filing official complaints for IRS to investigate these long running violations of the law.

I wish them luck; but can’t be very optimistic about the outcome. The IRS is obviously still not doing its job on its own without outside prodding. This is an illustration of a point I made several months ago about the Clinton cronies still working in IRS. The skunks may be out of the White House, but their stench lingers on through all of their Fellow Travelers who have infiltrated various levels of our government.

KMK

Complicating Things Even More

Many of the States piggyback their income tax forms & calculations on the Federal forms and numbers. Some times, the link to the Federal rules is automatic, while other times, it requires a specific act by the State’s Rulers. With so many changes in the Federal tax laws in the past several months, the States are still trying to catch up. This makes for an even more complicated tax return process. As described in this story about the PRC’s attempt’s to enact conforming legislation, they may eventually do it.

If and when the various States do enact such legislation, I know one result; a lot of work preparing amended State income tax returns. There is no more secure career than tax practitioner.

KMK

Life Imitating Art

In the Beatles’ TaxMan song (part of which has been used by H&R Block recently in commercials), they sang about the government taxing everything possible. It was intended as an extreme parody. However, sooner or later, such things come true.

In its normal status as trend setter for the rest of the country, the People’s Republic of California (my former home) is currently working on new taxes on several things, including bullets, soda cans, alcohol and cigarettes. Other States learn from the Left Coast; so don’t feel safe just because you don’t live there.

As a side note, I was using Google to track down the lyrics of TaxMan, and came across this site that has the lyrics to every Beatles song. It’s a very comprehensive list. There is even an alternative take of TaxMan.

KMK