From the category archives:

environment

Yes, Some BP Payments are Taxable

27 June 2010

Oh media, stop trying to create drama where there is none… Days after the IRS confirmed that some compensatory payments to victims of the Gulf Spill are taxable, the news is filled with sensational headlines implying that this is some kind of evil money grab by the government. Shame on those reporters. What’s happening in [...]

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Senate: Oil and Gas Industry Tax Breaks Remain

16 June 2010

The Senate failed to say no to $35 billion worth of tax breaks for the oil and gas industry on yesterday. I know, double negatives. But that’s the easiest way to describe it. You see, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) introduced a provision that would have limited write offs for drilling expenses, eliminated a tax deduction [...]

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Using Tragedy for Gain: It’s the American (Senate) Way

9 June 2010

Forget dying birds. Who cares about poisoned fish? Those sick fishermen? They’ll totally get over it – after all, it was food poisoning, right, Tony Hayward? What we need in this country is cash. And we can exploit the BP spill to get it. Democrats in the Senate have come up with a way to [...]

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Will the BP Spill Drive Up the Gas Tax?

4 June 2010

My daughter asked me the other day why the birds couldn’t breathe. It took me awhile to figure out that she was talking about what’s going on in the Gulf. We’re going on day 46 of the BP spill. So far, BP has tried robots, drilling a relief well, a contaminant dome, “Top Hat”, “Top [...]

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DC Bag Tax Pays Off – Maybe?

30 March 2010

The controversial “bag tax” in Washington DC appears to be paying off. The DC Office of Tax and Revenue says that the tax has generated about $150,000 in the month of January alone – money that will be directed to the newly created Anacostia River Clean Up Fund. That may be all fine and good [...]

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Ask the taxgirl: Energy Efficient Appliances

10 March 2010

Taxpayer asks: Can you get money back for purchasing a washer and dryer in 2009 that has the energy star on it. Thanks for the info!!!! Taxgirl says: Unfortunately, no. What you’re probably thinking about are Home Energy Efficiency Improvement Tax Credits. Those credits were for the installation of specific products like energy-efficient windows, insulation, [...]

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Tesla Roadster Again Controversial (and this time, it has nothing to do with Jeremy Clarkson)

24 October 2009

When Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the electric sports car Tesla Roadster, he had plenty to say. Notably, he complained about the price, which was at the time of filming in the UK, £92,000 (about $150,962.40 US). Lucky for all of you prospective Tesla Roadster buyers, the price has dropped to a mere $109,000. And [...]

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Air Apparent: Buying New Energy Efficient Appliances

28 August 2009

Every summer, my husband and I have the same argument about whether we should get central air. We live in an old Victorian house in Philadelphia; it takes a while during the summer for the house to heat up but when it does, hoo boy, it gets hot. The thing is, it’s not easy to [...]

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Paper or Plastic? Seattle Says No to Bag Tax

24 August 2009

I previously blogged that Seattle was contemplating a tax on plastic bags which managed to garner a decent amount of support. Clearly, the initial support wasn’t enough. Seattle voters firmly rejected the measure in a vote this month. The bill, had it passed, would have made Seattle the first city to tax both plastic and [...]

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Seattle Message: Go Green or Lose Your Green

31 July 2009

When you think about sin taxes, you normally think about things that are bad for you such as cigarettes, booze and, if Congress gets its way, soda and sugary drinks. Now, sin taxes are taking on a different slant: taxing things that are bad for the planet. In Seattle, there is a bill pending to [...]

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