A look back at tax law, IRS history, and the stories behind how we got the tax system we have today.
We are feeling the pain at the pump. According to AAA, the national average price of gas is $3.498. It was just $2.507 a year ago. And the price of gas isn’t the only thing that’s going up. Americans are feeling the impact of record inflation, which is reportedly costing the average household an additional…
I am the only lawyer in my family. That’s important to my story because – as you’ll read in a minute – my thinking about the legal system, especially the criminal justice system, was largely shaped by popular culture. I grew up believing that as long as you did the right thing, you’d never be…
As more and more states legalize marijuana, pressure has been growing for Congress to take some action. This week, the House passed legislation that would end the federal ban on marijuana. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act) garnered support from both sides of the aisle, passing with a 228-164 vote in the…
On this day in 1931, Al Capone was found guilty of tax evasion. The gangster who had reportedly boasted, “They can’t collect legal taxes from illegal money” was sentenced to 11 years in prison for failing to file tax returns. Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1899, to Italian immigrants. His…
“I drunk his liquor,” said one potential juror. “And honestly, I really like moonshine,” said another. The jury selection in a 2018 trial in western North Carolina was proving to be complicated. On paper, the matter appeared straightforward. A woman called 9-1-1 when her husband attempted to kill himself. Responders to the scene found marijuana…
Chances are that you are spending today gathered around a grill or trying to soak in some sun. Labor Day weekend is considered summer’s last hurrah and ushers in fall and, including, in areas like mine, the beginning of the school year. (You can read more about the tie-in to the school year and Labor…
It’s my annual Taxes from A to Z series! If you’re wondering how to figure basis for cryptocurrency or whether you can claim home office expenses during COVID, you won’t want to miss a single letter. X is for X Tax. Yes, there really is an X tax. And while it sounds like something developed…
This week, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had restaurant owners calling “fowl” on new rules requiring bars to serve food with their drinks. The New York State Liquor Authority (NYSLA) issued guidance making clear that, “Pursuant to Executive Order 202.52, effective Friday July 17, 2020, all licensed establishments with on premises privileges (e.g. restaurants, taverns, manufacturers with…
More than 50 years ago, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a leader in the civil rights movement, was on the receiving end of repeated harassment by tax authorities. Inquiries into Dr. King’s finances were not new: He was investigated in two separate states (Georgia and Alabama) on numerous occasions and together with his legal team…
Today, there will be lots of fireworks, parades, speeches, and hot dog eating contests to celebrate Independence Day. The day is often believed to be the day we officially gained our independence from Great Britain. But it’s a little more complicated than that: Independence Day wasn’t the end of the road to independence, it was only…