Bitcoin is money. That was the gist of a ruling this week from the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the highest court in Europe. The ruling was in response to a dispute originally filed in Sweden. In the case, Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) v. David Hedqvist, the ECJ was asked to rule on whether transactions…
In 2014, the European Commission announced that it would formally investigate the tax structures and practices of a handful of companies including Apple (Ireland), Fiat Finance and Trade (Luxembourg), and Starbucks (Netherlands). The inquiry followed months of promises by world leaders to ensure tax compliance after not-so-shocking revelations that multinational companies were engaging in controversial…
We’re a Back To The Future household. My son is obsessed with the first movie of the series, thanks largely to the time machine. If you haven’t seen the film (which boggles the mind, quite frankly), Doc (played by Christopher Lloyd) sends Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) back to the 1950s using a…
Last week was the deadline for tax returns on extension. I mentioned on Twitter that I was sending my check on the 15th and Robert Flach (@rdftaxpro) promptly and correctly chastised me, saying, “Shame on you. When I owe I mail my check on April 15th – but I prepare the return as soon as…
Over the past two years, nearly 4,550 victims have collectively paid over $23 million to scammers posing as Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials. Since October 2013, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has received reports of roughly 736,000 contacts made to taxpayers demanding that they send them cash via prepaid debit cards. J….
Move over, Real Housewives, there’s a new bankruptcy scandal in reality TV town. Abby Lee Miller, the star of the reality TV show “Dance Moms” has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, on charges of bankruptcy fraud, concealment of bankruptcy assets, and false bankruptcy declarations. If those allegations sound familiar, they…
I lost $25 this week on fantasy sports. For the record, it wasn’t gambling. I know this because the site that I used, FanDuel.com, said so. Over and over. According to the site: Fantasy Sports is considered a game of skill and received a specific exemption from the 2006 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA)… Thanks…
The podcast is coming! The podcast is coming! Fear not, the podcast is finally making its re-debut. In the meantime, you can listen to me chat with Jeena Cho about writing, tax and how Taxgirl came to be here (grab a cup of coffee and plan on staying awhile, it’s long!).
Some Facebook users in the United Kingdom (UK) may be getting ready to put that rumored “dislike” Facebook button to use: the social media site paid just £4,327 ($6,643 US) in UK corporate tax in 2014. No, that’s not missing a few zeros. It’s really £4,327 ($6,643 US). To be clear: I paid more in…
“This is a Hugo-level event,” declared Maj. Gen. Robert Livingston, head of the South Carolina National Guard. Maj. Gen. Livingston was comparing the last week’s flooding in the Palmetto State to the category 5 hurricane that caused widespread damage in Charleston nearly 25 years ago. The devastating floods in the state were considered a 1…