Big surprise: In New Jersey "Ex-tax collection firm exec faces new indictment." Same woman is already under indictment for gifts to state tax officials. Some things -- national security and tax admin being just two of them -- simply do not belong in the private sector. Lawyer Robert Adler calls the accusations against Sandra Bielanski "Another arbitrary and political act" by the state attorney general. OK Bob, if you say so ...
No refunds in California: California is issuing IOUs, not refunds, to taxpayers who overpaid their 2008 taxes. They don't call them IOUs of course. They're "registered warrants". They're running a tab. One official said yesterday that people shouldn't treat their tax payments like savings accounts and expect to get refunds. Think about the hubris of THAT for a moment. Same guy says that of course, you won't be allowed to send in an IOU instead of a real check with your tax return. Oh yeah, not the same thing at all, is it? By the end of Feb more state creditors should expect to receive RWs instead of payment. I'm OK with California taxing ans spending however they choose, but when they ask the rest of America to foot the bill with a bailout, THERE I draw the line. What did the citizens of Ohio, Maine, South Carolina do to deserve THAT? ...
The National Taxpayer Advocate, described by the NY Times as the watchdog agency of the IRS, advocates fewer levies, seizures ... and liens. Liens? Don't they come into existence by operation of law when taxes remain unpaid after the three requisite steps of assessment, notice and demand and refusal or neglect to pay? Did they mean Notices of Lien? That's a forgiveable oversight when your local accountant or lawyer makes it but for the head of the IRS' "watchdog agency"? Please. Who's watching the watchdog?
Same source: "Ms. Olson also called on Congress to simplify the tax code radically..." Well, what else is a national watchdog to say? But Ms. Olson, will this be the first time you've had your heart broken? I'm sure they'll get right on that as soon as they figure out the $2 trillion stimulus and bailout packages ...
From the (London) TimesOnline, Sir Jeremy Beecham writes in "Sir, The simple fact about council tax collection is that bills could go up or services be cut if large numbers of people don’t pay." And what's more "It seems that, in terms of getting tough on council tax collection, town halls are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. " No kidding? You go, Sir J. Have you met Ms. Olson? ...
And here you probably thought that Sudan was among the most corrupt and despotic regimes on earth. No really, you did, didn't you? But noooo (thank you, John Belushi)... Bloomberg.com reports yesterday that the IMF "...praised Sudan for its fisal restraint and efforts to boost tax collection." And Mussolini made the trains run on time, too. This blog is going to be too easy to write if I don't have to make stuff like that up ...
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