Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story
Every so often a new show hits Broadway with lights that shine brighter than the rest. In 1996, Rent celebrated a group of impoverished East Village artists struggling to thrive in the shadow of AIDS. In 2003, Wicked imagined the lives of the witches of Oz before Dorothy’s unexpected arrival. But who would have thought […]
No Extra Credit Here
Paying your taxes is one of those responsibilities that most of us accept when the time comes. Sure, we grumble about it. But we pay, then get on with the day. We don’t expect to get brownie points just for doing our duty. In fact, if you give yourself too much credit for doing it, […]
Tax Man Makes $1=$10,001
Here in the United States, Uncle Sam imposes a “progressive” income tax. As your income goes up, so does your tax rate. However, those rates go up incrementally. If you’re married, filing jointly with your spouse, the 39.6% top rate kicks in at $413,201. (We use the term “kicks” deliberately because that’s how it feels […]
Fahrvergtaxen
Every once in awhile, some knucklehead in a position of power at one of the world’s biggest businesses does something so incredibly stupid, you wonder how they can remember to put their shoes on before they head to work in the morning. Bernie Madoff did it for decades by running a classic Ponzi scheme out […]
Yogi Berra on Taxes
Last month, one of the most truly American lives came to an end at age 90. Baseball legend Lawrence “Yogi” Berra was a superstar both on and off the field. As a player, he won 10 World Series rings and made the All-Star team 18 times in 19 seasons. He was American League MVP five […]
Don’t Bogart That Deduction, My Friend
Imagine you’re a hardworking pot dealer just trying to operate an honest shop in the newly legal marijuana industry. You get audited, and the examiner hits you with a $290,000 bill. He then asks to talk “off the record,” and tells you he was lenient with your examination. The real bill, he says, should have […]
Share a Coke with the IRS
Coca Cola has earned a lot of headlines for their “Share a Coke with . . . ” marketing campaign, printing bottles and cans with 1,000 of the most popular names in the country, along with nicknames like “Mom,” “Dad,” Soulmate,” and “BFF.” You can even go online to customize your own bottle for just […]
Alibaba and the Forty Percent
Turn on the financial news and you’ll hear all sorts of explanations for the stock market’s ups and downs. Oh no, the Fed’s going to raise rates! Oh no, they’re not! Who knows what the real answer is? But last week, the IRS moved the market — when they casually signaled they wouldn’t be greenlighting […]
Vive le Tax!
This year, as usual, millions of American tourists took advantage of summer vacation to travel abroad. Favorable exchange rates made European destinations especially attractive. Seeing Old World cultures gives us perspective that we just can’t get when we load up the family truckster and head for Disney World. The sights, the sounds, and the great […]
What’s in a Name?
Sports fans go nuts this time of year. Baseball fans are watching pennant races heat up; football fans are watching the NFL take the gridiron to kick off the new season; and tennis fans are moving their heads from side to side to take in the U.S. Open. Naturally, this means we’re going to talk […]