I am actually waiting for my coffee to cool down this morning. I can barely sip it – it’s so hot out. The temps are slated to creep back up to the 90s again today – the 90s. Remember, folks, I’m in Philly and it’s just the first couple of days of May. It’s not mid-summer in Biloxi. I should not be this hot.
With that in mind, I’m opening up the taxgirl mailbag. Warning: I could be cranky.
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Taxpayer asks:
I saw your interview on AOL about your audit. Aren’t you worried that people will think you’re a bad tax attorney?
taxgirl says:
Apparently, everyone on the planet saw that interview because I’m still getting questions and comments about it!
The interesting bit is, of course, that I blogged about my audit on taxgirl a few months before here and here and no one seemed to bat an eyelash. When I wrote about it for AOL, it got picked up by CNNMoney and well… lots of emails and comments.
I did think for quite a bit about whether I wanted to post about the audit in the first place. And I came out (clearly) on the side of wanting to do it – for a long of reasons. One, I found the whole process really interesting from the taxpayer side and I wanted to share what I learned. Two, I wanted to take some of the mystery and fear out of the audit process – I do think there are a number of taxpayers who still believe that an audit involves men with guns and sunglasses showing up on their doorstep. And three, I’ve always tried to be honest on the blog and this was a big part of my life for a bit. So to not mention it at all would have been weird.
As to whether I worry that people might think I’m a bad tax attorney… I can’t control what people think. But the thing is this: I’m a good tax attorney and getting audited didn’t change that. In fact, arguably, it made me a better tax attorney because I have a different perspective now.
The funny thing is that the audit didn’t even have anything to do with me – or my being a tax attorney. I’ve explained before that we weren’t audited for any kind of willful misconduct. I caught a mistake on a company-related tax form prepared by a third party and I fixed it. But the mistake triggered an examination which is how the whole process works. You don’t get a pass from IRS at audit because of your line of work.
So, the bottom line is that I’m not going to pretend that I’m perfect. I think that’s silly (if you met me, you’d think it’s silly, too).
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Taxpayer asks:
You seem really critical of most taxes on soda, fat, tanning salons, alcohol, cigarettes and so on. Do you support any of these ideas?
taxgirl says:
I’m only critical of the so-called “sin taxes” because I think they’re dishonest. Call a spade a spade. If the point of the tax is to raise revenue, then call it a revenue raiser. Don’t pretend that you’re saving the world in the process.
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Taxpayer asks:
Your post about Ben Roethlisberger made me wonder what you think about Michael Vick. I know you’re an Eagles fan. Do you think that Vick should be punished, too?
taxgirl says:
I’m assuming that you mean “should have been punished” because Vick was punished. In addition to serving real jail time, he also served a suspension from the NFL after his conditional reinstatement into the NFL.
I’m a dog owner and I think what Vick did was pretty deplorable. I don’t want my children to think that kind of behavior is ever okay. But I think we have to be careful, as a society, when we decide that it’s okay to continue to punish someone after they’ve done their time (I’m talking rules-related punishments here, sponsorships and endorsements are a different animal). I think that mindset creates a level of inconsistency that can be dangerous in the law.
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Taxpayer asks:
Are you in favor of a national sales tax?
taxgirl says:
Let’s put it this way: I’m not completely opposed to the idea. I think it’s worked well in many countries as a proper VAT (as opposed to a pure sales tax).
That said, it would have to be part of a complete overhaul of the tax system and not simply an “add on.” I think the notion of a temporary sales tax (which has been floated about) is awful since it’s bound to be regressive and, like most things that promise to be temporary, not actually temporary.
I actually support the idea of real tax reform. But I think it has to be smart and thought out, and not as a gut reaction to a financial crisis.
Before you go: be sure to read my disclaimer. Remember, I’m a lawyer and we love disclaimers.
If you have a question, here’s how to Ask The Taxgirl.