Deep dives into tax policy — the laws, proposals, and reforms shaping the tax code, explained without the jargon.
It has been a grim year for most charitable organizations over the past two years. Giving has been down markedly, with gifts in 2008 representing the largest dip in charitable giving (-5.7%) in more than five decades. That’s why the total amount of donations made to various relief agencies in Haiti is fairly mind-boggling. According…
When I was a little girl, rather than completely clean up my room, I used to decorate it. I’d make a tissue flower and put it in the corner or hang a lovely paper chain on the bed. I guess I figured that if I prettied it up a bit, it would distract my parents…
In an era of shrinking tax revenues, most states are rushing to raise funds by increasing rates and simply taxing more stuff. Rhode Island, however, has a different idea. The tiny New England state may be geographically the smallest in the country but it has big plans to make the state more attractive to business….
I was thrilled to be asked by the folks at Forbes to follow up on my tax amnesty piece that was posted here on taxgirl. You can read my take here.
My daughter asked me the other day why the birds couldn’t breathe. It took me awhile to figure out that she was talking about what’s going on in the Gulf. We’re going on day 46 of the BP spill. So far, BP has tried robots, drilling a relief well, a contaminant dome, “Top Hat”, “Top…
It’s almost like Congress is dragging this thing out just to make me have to type the phrase American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act of 2010. There’s not even a good acronym for it since there are too many consonants and not enough vowels: AJCTLA, which kind of sounds like something Gwen Stefani would…
The US Supreme Court continues to plow through its review of cases for the next season, making reference to its second tax case. Unlike the first (in which cert was denied), the Supreme Court agreed to put the second set on its docket. The Court agreed to hear two cases, Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization…
In a remarkable change, South Carolina has voted to increase its cigarette tax for the first time since 1977. Well, sort of for the first time. The legislature originally increased the cigarette tax earlier in the month. But it was subsequently vetoed by Governor Sanford (R-SC). Today, however, the legislature managed to override the veto,…
Imagine for a moment that the top wage earners in the land were forced to throw their funds into a common pot that would be shaken up and redistributed to those less fortunate than themselves – a sort of a take from the rich and give to the poor scheme. No, it’s not a promo…
It’s the return of Fix the Tax Code Friday! For those of you who are new (or have forgotten), Fix the Tax Code Friday is your opportunity to sound off on hot topics related to tax. This week, there has been a lot of discussion about amnesty programs in various states. Pennsylvania just kicked off…