edited by: Tracy Coenen,
Accounting Editor
San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom signed new legislation yesterday allowing homeowners and businesses to finance eco-friendly upgrades through their property taxes. It is reported that the program is the largest of its kind, and the Mayor hopes it will start a trend among local government agencies. Supporters of the program [...]
From Bloomberg.com:
Senate Democrats said they will push for passage this week of a U.S. job-creation plan that includes a $20 billion extension of the federal highway and transportation construction program.
Majority Leader Harry Reid said the package he plans to introduce today has “some good” [...]
I was recently quoted in a DailyFinance.com piece discussing the hidden tax surprises in exchange-traded funds. You can find a segment of their article below, and I have bolded my quote in the story.
Index-based ETFs carry a big tax advantage for investors because there is very little [...]
The Philadelphia Inquirer is reporting that Jonathan P. Wiktorchik, a Bucks County chiropractor, has been charged with lying to the IRS and arson yesterday in a March 2008 fire. The fire destroyed his office and neighboring businesses.
At the time of the fire, Wiktorchik implicated a gang. [...]
Folks tend to get creative at tax time. Usually, though, the innovation involves entries on Form 1040 and associated schedules.
But one crafty woman has come up with another way we can stick it to the tax man.
Erin, who's known as sewsewsuckurtoe [...]
FT.com / Currencies - Greek rescue speculation helps euro bounce back.
As the FT notes:
Concerns over Greece’s fiscal position have weighed heavily on the euro in recent weeks.
As a consequence, the euro hit an eight-month low of $1.3583 against the dollar last Friday.This has been the cause of outright glee amongst the libertarian right. There’s [...]
My latest Forbes article is here. This is an extract from the following, fuller, version.
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The biggest intellectual challenge of our age is one that has bemused economists for years. With unemployment rising rapidly, how do we release the potential of people within our economy without ruining its finances?
Keynes [...]
FT.com / Lex / Financial services & property - UBS.
UBS has announced its fourth quarter results:
[O]utflows from the group’s wealth management and Swiss banking operations nearly doubled to SFr33bn compared to the previous quarter, and SFr12bn leaked from its US wealth business.
Those leaks are having the desired result.
I’ve been getting a lot of questions from disabled taxpayers about whether any special tax breaks exist for them in 2009. The answer is yes – and no.
As I stated in a prior post, there was some economic relief for disabled Americans in 2009 in [...]
Future archaelogists will puzzle over the apparent loss of millions of children in 1986. About seven million dependents claimed on 1040s failed to show up in the following year. Freakonomist Steven Levitt puts a human face on this tragedy (via the TaxProf):
He told the story ... of the [...]Russ Fox reports:
...from South Carolina comes the word that anyone who wants to overthrow the United States Government must register with the South Carolina Secretary of State for $5.It's not clear whether Confederate notes are required as payment.
[...]There are many reasons to get angry about the financial crisis. One is that the people and countries with least responsibility are paying the highest price – as is also true of climate change. Another reason is that the G20 group of leading countries has already broken a key promise [...]
For the past 6 1/2 years, we’ve written frequently about various mergers and acquisitions. Today, we have some M&A news of our own: Morningstar (MORN) has acquired footnoted.org. You can download the official press release here, but I wanted to personally share with you why [...]
FT Alphaville » Post QE gilt (auction).
This morning’s UK gilt auction over subscribed.
Crisis, what crisis?
[...]We are discussing Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, No. 08–205, Jan. 21, 2010, the Supreme Court's recent decision on campaign finance.
While Congress cannot abridge the right of corporations to expend funds on electioneering communications, states apparently can. As the majority opined:
Shareholder objections raised through the procedures of [...]
I really do wish the following tutorial was not necessary, but recent events have showed me that our education system has clearly failed us.
Now that there is an influx of people with absolutely zero life skills arriving in my neighbourhood, I have, as usual, found it thrust upon my shoulders to deliver a [...]
Ashok! Congratulations on being our 11th winner of a CCH CompleteTax online tax software access code.
Sorry for being so late today. It's been a Monday all over!We're heading into the homestretch of this first round of tax-related contests. Four more CCH access codes [...]
Taxpayer asks:
I heard that I can get more money back from my taxes this year because I am disabled. Is this true? I am on fixed income and it would help me.
Taxgirl says:
I think what you’re referring to is the one time payment for retirees and [...]
