From the category archives:

politics

Cheater, Cheater, Pumpkin Eater: Home Buyer Credit Fraud Rampant

22 October 2009

Soooo… You know that I wasn’t a fan of the first time home buyer credit. It was touted as a “stimulus” for middle class taxpayers to make home buying more affordable. The idea was that folks would rush to buy homes, thus buoying the housing industry, getting banks going again and more [...]

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Is McCotter Barking Up the Right Tree with Tax Deductions for Pet Owners?

15 October 2009

In 1999, my husband and I decided that our house was too big and empty for the two of us. So we did what many couples our age did: we got a dog. Our lab mix, Lyle, has been a part of our family ever since. He goes with us to [...]

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Fix the Tax Code Friday: Health Care Reform

9 October 2009

It’s Fix the Tax Code Friday! This week, health care reform is in the news again, this time with a focus on the proposed excise tax for high-premium insurance plans.
The latest proposal for health care reform includes a controversial excise tax for high-premium insurance plans which exceed certain thresholds. Much of the concern, [...]

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Dear Nancy, Please Don’t Raise Taxes To Pay For Health Care…

8 October 2009

This week, 157 House Democrats (which for math junkies like me, who want to know the actual percentage of House Dems who signed, it’s 62%) signed a letter which put House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) on notice that an excise tax on high-cost health care insurance plans is not acceptable. Those who signed the [...]

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Merkel Wins 2nd Term in Germany, Touts Tax Cuts

28 September 2009

“Lesen Sie es von meinen Lippen ab, keine neuen Steuern.”
(translation: Read my lips, no new taxes.)
Okay, maybe German Chancellor Angela Merkel didn’t actually say that – but that was the gist of her message when she made a play for a second term. And it worked.
With Germany suffering through its own economic woes, [...]

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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 the amount [...]

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First-time Homebuyer Credit Viewed As a Success

18 September 2009

If by success, you mean that a lot of people took advantage of it… The IRS has reported that 1.4 million taxpayers have claimed the first-time homebuyers credit. The credit is available to taxpayers who have not owned another principal residence at any time during the three years prior to the date of [...]

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ACORN Loses Federal Funding

17 September 2009

Just days after offering some “interesting” tax advice on film, ACORN was hit with a House bill that would deny federal funds to the group. Rep. Eric Cantor (R-VA) explained:
ACORN has violated serious federal laws, and today the House voted to ensure that taxpayer dollars would no longer be used to fund this corrupt [...]

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Geithner Back Tracks on Possible Tax Increase

15 September 2009

Remember last month when Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner would not rule out a tax increase for the middle class to resolve our budget woes?
Well, apparently he’s changed his mind. Speaking this week, Geithner was asked the same question. This time, his answer was: “I don’t think so, no.”
So there you [...]

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ACORN Officials Offer Tax Advice (and a Word or Two About Being a Pimp)

14 September 2009

Late last week, news broke that officials with the group ACORN were secretly videotaped allegedly offering advice to folks posing as a pimp and prostitute. While accusations have flown about what was or was not said/meant/intended/edited, it’s clear that at least one of the officials was offering improper tax advice.
Here’s the set up for [...]

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