From the category archives:

fix the tax code friday

Fix the Tax Code Friday: Targeted Enforcement

13 November 2009

IRS Commish Doug Shulman has not been shy about talking about targeted enforcement. Targeted enforcement – the idea of cherry picking certain target groups to investigate or examine – is nothing new: it’s happened for years. In fact, as a young lawyer, I remember FLPs (Family Limited Partnerships) being called out under the Clinton Administration. [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: Extending Tax Programs

18 September 2009

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! Buoyed by the popularity of the Cash for Clunkers program – and the perceived success of the First Time Homebuyer’s Credit – Congress is considering whether to extend both programs in 2010. Various bills suggest extending the homebuyer’s credit from six months to a year – and even increasing [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: Foreign Accounts

21 August 2009

The IRS crackdown on foreign accounts has been generating a lot of discussion in the blogosphere. Some folks argue that it’s a waste of resources, others argue that it’s been a long time coming. Today’s Fix the Tax Code Friday question is: Is the targeting of offshore accounts a fair use of IRS resources? Or [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: A Year From Now

14 August 2009

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! Over at Only3Years, Iz contemplated the question of where she might be a year from now. The more I thought about this, the more I thought that it would make a superb Fix the Tax Code Friday… I’m constantly asked what I think will happen with respect to a [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: Best for Who?

31 July 2009

This week, there’s been a considerable focus on a number of proposed “sin taxes” including those on soda, cosmetic surgery and plastic bags. In theory, sin taxes are meant to prevent certain kinds of behavior – whether or not they accomplish it is a whole other story. I realize that nobody wants to pay extra [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: Cuts Versus Tax Increases

17 July 2009

This week, both the feds and states have been struggling with the idea of balancing the budget by making cuts or increasing taxes. Today’s Fix the Tax Code Friday question is: If you had to choose, would you rather see tax increases or spending cuts? If “spending cuts” is your answer, are there any cuts [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: When Should Private Become Public?

10 July 2009

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! News reports continue to focus on the death of Michael Jackson, his memorial and his funeral. Enormous amounts of public resources have been dedicated to policing the memorial service, keeping Jackson’s family away from the press and investigating Jackson’s “alleged” drug use. Comparisons have been drawn to other public [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: Tax Credits for Business

26 June 2009

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! Over the past few weeks, I’ve reported on a number of industry-specific tax credits offered to businesses, including tax credits for the tech industry and for the movie industry. Reports have been mixed as to whether these credits produce any results. I’m interested to know what individual taxpayers think. [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: What About Amnesty?

19 June 2009

Earlier today, I posted that New Jersey’s amnesty program has been very successful – in fact, more than three times their estimates. Some of my colleagues have suggested a federal amnesty program might be a good idea, others believe that there might be abuse of such a program. What do you think? Today’s Fix the [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: Exempting “Real” Food from Tax

22 May 2009

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! Earlier today, I posted a piece on the new ruling in the UK that Pringles, made mostly of things “other than potato” or not, would be considered a snack food that does not meet an exemption for purposes of sales tax/VAT. In many countries, states and municipalities, foods are [...]

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