Pomp and Circumstance
June is Graduation Season, and odds are good that you’ve spent some time seated on a cheap folding chair or arena bleacher watching someone proceed down an aisle in an expensive cap and gown. Commencement speakers will thank the faculty, staff, and parents who made it all possible. But how many of them thank the […]
Who Won Most at Roland Garros?
For two weeks every spring, the tennis world focuses its attention on Roland Garros, the Parisian center that hosts the French Open. This year, fans yawned as the dominant Serena Williams cruised to her 20th career major title in the 2015 French Open, defeating the 13th-ranked Czech Lucie Safarova. On the men’s side, fans saw […]
Red Card!
Picture a greedy cabal of shameless officials lording over a famously corrupt international cartel. Add suitcases full of cash bribes, and multimillion-dollar payoffs coursing through a shadowy network of shell companies and offshore accounts. Throw in a loud, colorful “mole” celebrating a life of private jets, Michelin-starred restaurants, and vintage wines. Now stir in an […]
Blockbuster Taxes
Memorial Day came early this year, and that means we get more time with our summer whites! (Of course, summer doesn’t “officially” start until June 21, but who’s counting?) For millions of Americans, cooling off at the movies with a bucket of popcorn and gallon of soda is a favorite part of the season. So […]
Top Ten Taxing Words That (Sort of) Rhyme With “Tax”
Late-night talk-show host David Letterman has delighted audiences with his wry, subversive sense of humor for an impressive 33 years. But this week he bids us farewell. We’ll remember him for his Stump the Band bits, his Stupid Pet Tricks, and — most of all — his Top 10 lists. So here, in Dave’s honor […]
The Original Tax “Shelter”
New York City is the indisputable hub of American capitalism. Its glittering streets are home to the worlds of finance, advertising, fashion, publishing, and even organized crime. The island of Manhattan is home to some of the richest people on the planet, and they own some of its priciest real estate in the world. You […]
Accountants Behaving Badly
Every year, “true crime” fans look forward to the IRS Criminal Investigation Unit’s annual report detailing their efforts to combat the cheats who don’t pay their share. This year’s edition is no exception, with dozens of entertaining stories about clever scammers who just . . . weren’t . . . clever . . . enough. […]
Bet They Didn’t Think About This
Last week, a New York judge issued writs of habeas corpus on behalf of two chimpanzees named Hercules and Leo, currently living in a research lab at the State University of New York in Stony Brook. The next day, she walked back the scope of her ruling, emphasizing she was merely directing the university to […]
Guaranteed Loser
You’ve bought a lottery ticket or two in your time, right? The Powerball jackpot hits a kajillion dollars, and you realize you really can’t win if you don’t play. So you buy a ticket or two just to nurse that fantasy of champagne wishes and caviar dreams. Forget the reality that most lottery players never […]
Smoke ‘Em If You Got ‘Em
Every year, the IRS Criminal Investigations unit (IRS-CI) releases a surprisingly entertaining report detailing their efforts to protect the Treasury from scammers, fraudsters, and cheats. This year’s edition reveals that, due to budget cuts, activity is actually down. In 2014, IRS special agents initiated 4,297 criminal investigations (down 19.1% from 5,314 in 2013) and recommended […]