It’s Getting to Know You Tuesday! Our guest today is Professor James Maule, who teaches at Villanova Law School and authors a pretty cool tax blog. Here we go:
1. Where are you now?
In my home office
2. What’s your official title and what does it mean?
Professor of Law, and it means that I am on the faculty of a law school, fully tenured.
3. What books are on your nightstand?
None. My “books to be read” piles are on the kitchen counter and the kitchen table. You can find reviews of the books I’ve read at various places on the TaxProf blog (http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/) under “What Law Professors Are Reading.”
4. If you weren’t working in the tax profession, what would your dream job be?
General manager of the Philadelphia Phillies or captain of a cruise ship.
5. What’s the last movie that you saw (DVD or in the theatre)?
Casino Royale
6. Tax is a huge subject. What’s your area of special interest?
Personal income tax and business entity tax
7. What’s the best tax or financial advice that anyone ever gave you?
“Determine a percentage of income to save, set it aside, pretend you don’t have it, and then make spending decisions.”
8. Coffee or tea?
Tea
9. Name five artists on your iPod (or mp3 player).
Five? Impossible. Sacred Spirit, Enigma, B-Tribe, Pink Floyd, Sarah McLachlan, Tina Turner, Tom Petty, Peter Kater, The Pretenders, Amethystium, Neil Young, Kitaro, Enya, Elton John, Delerium, Carlos Nakai, Bob Dylan, to name just a few.
10. What would I be surprised to know about you?
That I collect penguin collectibles. Considering that my resume is online, that’s probably one of the few things with no reason to be on it.
11. What college did you attend (in what subject)?
University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, with a degree in economics, majoring in accounting and business law.
12. If you had the opportunity to make one change in the tax code tomorrow – an extra credit, a disallowed deduction, whatever – what would it be?
Elimination of the preference for capital gains and the limitation on capital losses, thus removing the ordinary – capital distinction and trashing 1/3 of the Code.
13. What’s the best thing on TV right now?
Reruns of Friends, Everyone Loves Raymond, and Seinfeld. Had it been football season, the answer would have been different.
14. What do you think Congress will repeal first: estate tax or AMT?
Neither, but if pressed, the AMT.
15. If Uncle Sam handed you a huge refund check right now, what would you do with it?
Give some to charity, pay off the mortgage, share some with my children, and if there was enough, retire and cruise around the world.
16. Biggest tax newsmaker: KPMG, Jenkens Gilchrist or Richard Hatch?
Richard Hatch
17. And, other than taxgirl, what’s your favorite tax-related web site?
I don’t have a favorite because the ones linked on my blog each have a different purpose and focus.
You can check out Jim’s blog, Mauled Again, here. Thanks Jim!
