Where tax policy meets politics — legislation, elections, and the debates in Washington that decide how (and how much) you’re taxed.
You just can’t fault a guy for talking up pizza during a good debate – especially when that guy is former Godfather’s Pizza CEO and GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain. Cain grabbed a surprising share of the spotlight in New Hampshire on Tuesday during the GOP presidential debate with talk of his “9-9-9” plan. The…
So even as I was writing the story about the IRS’ audit of Harborside yesterday, I couldn’t make sense of it. It felt so heavy-handed on the part of the IRS that it had to be part of some bigger mandate – this was no mere tax audit. I got my answer this morning when…
I know I’m dating myself but I remember when people used to pay for purchases in cash and occasionally, with checks. Not so much anymore. Now, debit cards are all the rage. You know the ones (of course, since you likely have one). They look and function much like credit cards – only except instead…
I hate to fly. There. I said it. It’s not a phobia or anything. I just find the whole experience grossly unpleasant from start to finish. I can’t figure out ticket prices to save my life. I don’t like being treated like one of a number of cattle. And I hate the whole nickel and…
Is New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) about to throw his hat into the race for the GOP nomination for President? It sure looks like it despite declining to enter the fray earlier. Gov. Christie is a relative newcomer to the national scene. He made news by handily besting former Gov. Jon Corzine (D) in…
I love that scene in When Harry Met Sally when Billy Crystal’s Harry Burns looks at Meg Ryan’s Sally Albright and says: I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible. That’s…
It’s taken the country more than 100 years to make the Tax Code as complicated as it stands today. And yet, in clear DC fashion, Congress is making noise about reforming the code… in a mere two and a half months. Ah, the pandering optimism of Congress. The so-called “super committee” of 12 members of…
President Obama will send his new jobs creation plan to Congress later today. He’s going to pitch it first in the Rose Garden surrounded by the kinds of folks that make for good press (vets and teachers, for example) and then send it to Congress for consideration. It’s not going to be an easy road….
Kids, put on some good clothes and get in the car! We’re going out to celebrate! As it turns out, the country is only $1.28 trillion short this year. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released its updated Budget and Economic Outlook today (downloads as a pdf) and it’s not all that bad. Okay, it’s not…
(Quick note from Taxgirl: Guest post by Brash Tax in response to the debt ceiling crisis and the Congressional fix. The post was submitted prior to any Super Committee nods or whispers.) Lawmakers are drawing baselines in the sand even before the Super Committee is named. The distinctions among budget baselines are significant. But largely…