President-elect Barack Obama is right: America needs a real and meaningful middle-class tax cut. Unfortunately, despite the rhetoric, that is not what his proposals offer.

www.GiveMeLiberty.org -- What U.S. law requires Americans to pay income taxes? Watch IRS Commissioner Everson evade a direct question from the New York Times tax reporter. Why won't he answer ???

www.GiveMeLiberty.org -- Fox TV News interviews tax protester Irwin Schiff. Watch as famous NY tax attorney is unable to cite any law requiring average Americans for file or pay. Schiff's website is www.paynoincometax.com.

Dreams of a carbon tax are dashed now, although few environmentalists will publicly say so. More likely, they will soon assert the messenger failed, not the carbon tax idea. But of course, we know this is bunk. The Liberals campaigned unequivocally on a revenue-neutral carbon plan to save the planet. It was soundly rejected.

Introducing a new tax is never a popular political move, so it was notable when British Columbia's government, known more for its tax cutting, brought in Canada's first broad-based carbon tax in February's budget.

In politics, timing is everything. Between Feb. 19, when the B.C. budget tabled the carbon tax, and July 1, when it was implemented, prices at the pump rose to record levels.

The UK government is to auction carbon emissions permits to power firms in a sale projected to raise between 1.5 and 2bn euros (£1.2-1.6bn) by 2014.

Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist has sent a letter and formal application to the Treasury Department requesting $700 billion from the TARP Capital Purchase Program to fund the following tax cuts:

* Cut the corporate income tax rate from 35% to 15% (estimated cost: $170 billion)
* Eliminate the capital gains and dividends tax (estimated cost: $35 billion)
* Cut the top personal income tax rate from 35% to a flat 15% (estimated cost: $235 billion)
* Kill the death tax (estimated cost: $24 billion)

The "Internal Revenue Service" is a collection agency for the private, profit-making corporation that calls itself the Federal Reserve System. The fools who still send money to this private company can prove this by examining the backs of their cancelled checks to the IRS. It will say "Pay to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York." It doesn't say, "Pay to the US Treasury Department." Why do you suppose that is? Your hard-earned money goes to a private company that has never been audited, that was created by foreigners for their own gain.

Remember those economic-stimulus checks the government was handing out this year? Many taxpayers didn't qualify for the full amount -- or for any payment at all -- because their 2007 income exceeded a certain threshold.

But many people who lost their jobs this year, or whose incomes fell for some other reason, will get a second chance next year, thanks to a little-noticed tax-law twist.

Remember, even prior to its passage, I called the bailout the greatest looting operation of our time. I did so because the language of the Bailout Act, as originally proposed by the former CEO of Goldman Sachs, er, I mean the Treasury Secretary, requested three things: unitary power, no review, and no limits.
Frankly, it was the most plainly-worded document of theft that I had ever seen, and probably ever will see, in my life (because it was too blatant and such mistakes are rarely made again).

George Clooney, Bono, Wyclef Jean, Petra Nemcova and a half-dozen other celebs have founded charities that have some eyebrow-raising business practices, The Post uncovered in a sweeping review.

Proposals to implement additional form of income tax while seizing private pensions raised in Congress.

The big winner at this year's World Series of Poker: the tax man. Russ Fox computes the tax liability of the final nine players on their $32.7 million of winnings as $14.3 million -- a 43.7% tax rate:

Okay. So Prop 8 passed. Alright, I get it. 51% of you think that I am a second class citizen. Alright then. So my wife, uh I mean, roommate? Girlfriend? Special lady friend? You are gonna have to help me here because I am not sure what to call her now. Anyways, she and I are not allowed the same right under the state constitution as any other citizen. Okay, so I am taking that to mean I do not have to pay my state taxes because I am not a full citizen.

A new study based on unpublished Internal Revenue Service data shows the rich are different when it comes to paying taxes: They hide more of their income.

Alex Raskolnikov, a Columbia Law School professor who specializes in tax law, said that while the IRS can take mental illness into account when assessing penalties, he's never heard of "non-filer syndrome." Rhondalee Dean-Royce, a spokeswoman for the American Psychiatric Association, said no such disorder or syndrome is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a standard reference.

A federal judge has permanently barred convicted tax rebel and author Irwin Schiff and a co-defendant from preparing tax returns and marketing products advising people that no law requires Americans to pay federal income taxes.

In the midst of highly unpopular bailouts of Wall Street, many justifications have been given about why Washington feels the need to act. Some claim that capitalism and the free market are to blame, but we have not had capitalism. If you compare our financial capital to our aggregate debt, this would be obvious. In the same way, we have not had a truly free market. The monetary manipulations of the Federal Reserve, a complex tax code, the many "oversight" agencies and their mountains of regulations show that we are far removed from a free market economy.

The Massachusetts political establishment is horrified--voters might actually pass a proposition abolishing the state income tax. The personal income tax rate is 5.3%, and the state capital gains levy peaks at 12%. Under the proposition the tax would be cut 50% on Jan. 1, 2009 and eradicated on Jan. 1, 2010. These exactions currently raise about 40% of the state's budget revenue--27% if you count all of the Bay State's off-budget spending.

"Make Wall Street pay for its own bailout, by implementing a securities speculation tax, starting with derivatives," Nader told a crowd of several hundred in front of the New York Stock Exchange in lower Manhattan.

What U.S. law requires Americans to pay income taxes? Watch IRS Commissioner Everson evade a direct question from the New York Times tax reporter. Why won't he answer ???

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad ordered his government to suspend a controversial new sales tax Thursday, a day after a rare strike by merchants worried about how the new measure would affect their business.

The inquiry has centered on secret overseas bank accounts in Bermuda, Panama, Andorra, Hong Kong, Liechtenstein, Singapore and the West Indies.

It may be the biggest tax revolt in Massachusetts since the Boston Tea Party. In November, voters could wipe the state's personal income tax off the books.

Jack Bogdanski (Lewis & Clark) & Bryan Camp (Texas Tech) have independently reviewed the tax issues raised by the release of Gov. Palin's 2006 and 2007 tax returns and financial disclosure form, as well as the remarkable opinion letter issued from Washington D.C. tax lawyer Roger M. Olsen. Jack and Bryan conclude that there are serious errors in Gov. Palin's returns as filed and that she and her husband owe tens of thousands of dollars in additional taxes.

Two innocent and patriotic citizens dodge 64 IRS lethal bullets in a triumph
for justice and the American way.

The bailout bill also gives the Internal Revenue Service new authority to conduct undercover operations. It would immunize the IRS from a passel of federal laws, including permitting IRS agents to run businesses for an extended sting operation, to open their own personal bank accounts with U.S. tax dollars, and so on. (Think IRS agents posing as accountants or tax preparers and saying, "I'm not sure if that deduction is entirely legal, but it'll save you $1,000. Want to take it?") That section had expired as of January 1, 2008, and would now be renewed.

Gambling has tax implications. According to IRS Publication 17, "Your Federal Income Tax", 2007 edition, page 89 "Gambling Winnings. You must include your gambling winnings in income on Form 1040, line 21. If you itemize your deductions on Schedule A (Form 1040), you can deduct gambling losses you had during the year, but only up to the amount of your winnings." In other words, you can't subtract your losses from your winnings and just not report. You have to report the winnings, and then claim the losses.

But McCain's tax returns say nothing about gambling winnings or losses.

Several tax accounting blogs have raised the question: should Sarah Palin pay federal income taxes on the per-diem payments that she received from the state of Alaska for nights spent in her Wasilla, Alaska, home?

What could a provision about the tax treatment of “industrial source carbon dioxide” and another provision about doing a “carbon audit” of the tax code possibly have to do with restoring confidence in Wall Street’s troubled credit markets?

The answer: NOTHING.

This appears to be an attempt by global warming fanatics to lay the foundation for an economy-killing carbon tax just like the “cap-and-tax” system that is now destroying European industry.

Alabama's most populous county will miss making an $83 million interest payment on its enormous sewer debt.

The president of the Jefferson County Commission, Betty Fine Collins, said the county lacks the cash to make the payment, due Tuesday afternoon. Lenders previously extended a deadline for the payment.

Giving up a U.S. passport can carry a steep price tag. A new law passed by the U.S. Congress and signed by the President will subject certain individuals, who expatriate or give up their green cards, to immediate tax on the inherent gain on all of their worldwide assets and a tax on future gifts or bequests made to a U.S. citizen or resident.

Note that 26 of the 30 highest-tax states in the three categories are Blue States that voted for John Kerry in 2004, and that 24 of the 30 lowest-tax states in the three categories are Red States that voted for George Bush in 2004:

Newsweek is set to publish a highly embarrassing report on Sen. John McCain, revealing that the McCains have failed to pay taxes on their beach-front condo in La Jolla, California, for the last four years and are currently in default, The Huffington Post has learned.

Rangel’s lawyer, Lanny Davis, told reporters during a conference call today that the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, supports his decision to remain in the chairmanship.

With worldwide financial markets fluctuating wildly, there is hardly anywhere that the truly rich can count on their wealth being safe. Up till now a numbered account in Liechtenstein was a great place to keep away prying eyes.

One of the big problems that rich people have is making sure they don't pay a great deal of money in taxes. They go to great trouble to accomplish this, and do it secretly. Here's where the nice people of Liechtenstein come in -- or at least used to do so.

Each year, the United States loses an estimated $100 billion in tax revenues due to offshore tax abuses. The U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has examined various aspects of this problem, including how U.S. taxpayers have used offshore tax havens to escape payment of U.S. taxes. This Report focuses on a different subset of abusive practices that benefit only non-U.S. persons, have been developed and facilitated by leading U.S. financial institutions, and have been utilized by offshore hedge funds and others to dodge payment of billions of dollars in U.S. taxes owed on U.S.

Earlier this year, I blogged actor Nicolas Cage's Tax Court Petitions, which contested the IRS's determination that he personally owed $814,000, and his Los Angeles production company (Saturn Productions, Inc.), owed $988,000, in taxes, interest, and penalties for 2002-2004:

U.S. Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY)may lose his position as head of the powerful House Ways and Means committee following news that he failed to report income on a Dominican resort property he occasionally rented out.

Senior officials from the Bush administration and the Federal Reserve on Friday called in top executives of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance giants, and told them that the government was preparing to place the two companies under federal control, officials and company executives briefed on the discussions said.

The Second Circuit today affirmed the dismissal of indictments against 13 former partners and employees of KPMG, who were charged with criminal tax fraud and conspiracy. United States v. Stein, No. 07-3042-cr (2d Cir. Aug. 28, 2008):

It took seven years, but Charles Ulrich did something many people dream about, but few succeed at: He beat the IRS in a tax dispute.

Not only that, but tax experts say potentially millions of other taxpayers could benefit from his victory.

Certainly, there are many disadvantages as well and critics argue that they outweigh the pros. For instance, when leaving an employer, the borrower may be required to pay off a balance immediately or face a financial penalty. In addition, repayments to a 401(k) debit-card loan are made with after-tax dollars that will be taxed again when they eventually are withdrawn from an account. The double taxation wouldn't occur with a conventional loan.

Prince Alois, a trained accountant, did not spell out details of an initiative that could see Liechtenstein provide tax information about foreign account holders in return for guarantees they would not be punished unduly. "In the future, we should offer all states comprehensive co-operation if they are willing to find sensible solutions with us for the client relationships we have built up, and if they are interested in fair and constructive co-operation for the future," he said.

Merrill Lynch might not pay any corporation tax for the next 60 years, it emerged today.

The giant American investment bank, which employs thousands in the City, has made losses of $29 billion (£15 billion) for its exposure to the U.S. subprime mortgage crisis.

But it has charged the amount to its British arm, meaning it can offset the losses against corporation tax for decades to come.

Little is known of a customary European legal practice that offers corporations and individuals an opportunity to profit from assets while maintaining complete anonymity of the beneficiary's identity. This practice is referred to as "Hidden Treuhand" in the English language. The practice of Hidden Treuhand submits to legal local customs in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Luxemburg and Switzerland, but due to globalization, has moved beyond European borders via corporations and individuals, who put it to personal use.

Most corporations, including the vast majority of foreign companies doing business in the United States, pay no income taxes, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Tuesday.

Unlike the rest of us, most U.S. corporations and foreign companies doing business in the United States pay no federal income tax, according to a new report from Congress.

Canadians who file their income-tax returns electronically are more likely to cheat, a newly released report suggests. An internal analysis by the Canada Revenue Agency found individuals who sent their tax returns through the Internet — the so-called Netfile option heavily promoted by Ottawa — were more likely to understate the amount of taxes owed. ...

The non-partisan FactCheck.org has released a report charging that John McCain has released three new ads with multiple false and misleading claims about Barack Obama's tax proposals:

It’s true that Minns’ unblemished string of acquittals for clients and reversals on appeal have won him widespread acclaim, but his combination of skills in which he maintained a practice suing bad lawyers and accountants led to his most unusual conquest; that of winning the largest Test Case Petitioner reversal and tax refund case in United States history. This accomplishment entailed obtaining a circuit court finding that the IRS had indeed committed a fraud in court against 1300 airline pilots during a 2003 tax case.