Tax avoidance and Democratic Party standards.

[lostinblue 1,989]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123353200827537439.html

Now we learn that Mr. Daschle failed to report some $255,000 in income from 2005 through 2007 for a car and driver supplied to him for personal use. The chauffeur service was provided by Leo Hindery, a big Democratic donor who also made Mr. Daschle a bundle by making him a limited partner in InterMedia Partners, a private equity shop.

As a legal tax matter, this isn't even a close call. Mr. Daschle says he used the car service about 80% for personal use, and 20% for business. But his spokeswoman says it only dawned on the Senator last June that this might be taxable income. Mr. Daschle's excuse? According to a Journal report Friday, "he told committee staff he had grown used to having a car and driver as majority leader and did not think to report the perk on his taxes, according to staff members." How's that for a Leona Helmsley moment: Doesn't everyone have a car and chauffeur, dear?

The poster child for going against tax cheats .only to find out he is one. How many tax cheats will obama put on his staff?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Putting "Democrat Party" and "standards" in the same sentence? That could work if we were talking automobiles made by (defunct British) Standard-Triumph Company--but only then.

[Dan J 277]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123353200827537439.html

Now we learn that Mr. Daschle failed to report some $255,000 in income from 2005 through 2007 for a car and driver supplied to him for personal use. The chauffeur service was provided by Leo Hindery, a big Democratic donor who also made Mr. Daschle a bundle by making him a limited partner in InterMedia Partners, a private equity shop.

As a legal tax matter, this isn't even a close call. Mr. Daschle says he used the car service about 80% for personal use, and 20% for business. But his spokeswoman says it only dawned on the Senator last June that this might be taxable income. Mr. Daschle's excuse? According to a Journal report Friday, "he told committee staff he had grown used to having a car and driver as majority leader and did not think to report the perk on his taxes, according to staff members." How's that for a Leona Helmsley moment: Doesn't everyone have a car and chauffeur, dear?

The poster child for going against tax cheats .only to find out he is one. How many tax cheats will obama put on his staff?

I bet if you started vetting all senators on their taxes, you would probably find quite a number of them with tax issues. When your taxes get past doing a simple 1040-EZ, the tax code gets quite complicated and some things may slip through the cracks.

The question is, do they intentionally, and knowing avoid taxes, or due to personal financial situation, are unaware that they are responsible for more taxes than they actually paid.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123353200827537439.html

Now we learn that Mr. Daschle failed to report some $255,000 in income from 2005 through 2007 for a car and driver supplied to him for personal use. The chauffeur service was provided by Leo Hindery, a big Democratic donor who also made Mr. Daschle a bundle by making him a limited partner in InterMedia Partners, a private equity shop.

As a legal tax matter, this isn't even a close call. Mr. Daschle says he used the car service about 80% for personal use, and 20% for business. But his spokeswoman says it only dawned on the Senator last June that this might be taxable income. Mr. Daschle's excuse? According to a Journal report Friday, "he told committee staff he had grown used to having a car and driver as majority leader and did not think to report the perk on his taxes, according to staff members." How's that for a Leona Helmsley moment: Doesn't everyone have a car and chauffeur, dear?

The poster child for going against tax cheats .only to find out he is one. How many tax cheats will obama put on his staff?

I bet if you started vetting all senators on their taxes, you would probably find quite a number of them with tax issues. When your taxes get past doing a simple 1040-EZ, the tax code gets quite complicated and some things may slip through the cracks.

The question is, do they intentionally, and knowing avoid taxes, or due to personal financial situation, are unaware that they are responsible for more taxes than they actually paid.

Answer: if they use an accountant (as many do), it's intentional.

[Dan J 277]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123353200827537439.html

Now we learn that Mr. Daschle failed to report some $255,000 in income from 2005 through 2007 for a car and driver supplied to him for personal use. The chauffeur service was provided by Leo Hindery, a big Democratic donor who also made Mr. Daschle a bundle by making him a limited partner in InterMedia Partners, a private equity shop.

As a legal tax matter, this isn't even a close call. Mr. Daschle says he used the car service about 80% for personal use, and 20% for business. But his spokeswoman says it only dawned on the Senator last June that this might be taxable income. Mr. Daschle's excuse? According to a Journal report Friday, "he told committee staff he had grown used to having a car and driver as majority leader and did not think to report the perk on his taxes, according to staff members." How's that for a Leona Helmsley moment: Doesn't everyone have a car and chauffeur, dear?

The poster child for going against tax cheats .only to find out he is one. How many tax cheats will obama put on his staff?

I bet if you started vetting all senators on their taxes, you would probably find quite a number of them with tax issues. When your taxes get past doing a simple 1040-EZ, the tax code gets quite complicated and some things may slip through the cracks.

The question is, do they intentionally, and knowing avoid taxes, or due to personal financial situation, are unaware that they are responsible for more taxes than they actually paid.

Answer: if they use an accountant (as many do), it's intentional.

That's assuming accountants know every piece of tax law. Which many don't. Lawyers don't always give the best advice, and neither do accountants.

[lostinblue 1,989]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123353200827537439.html

Now we learn that Mr. Daschle failed to report some $255,000 in income from 2005 through 2007 for a car and driver supplied to him for personal use. The chauffeur service was provided by Leo Hindery, a big Democratic donor who also made Mr. Daschle a bundle by making him a limited partner in InterMedia Partners, a private equity shop.

As a legal tax matter, this isn't even a close call. Mr. Daschle says he used the car service about 80% for personal use, and 20% for business. But his spokeswoman says it only dawned on the Senator last June that this might be taxable income. Mr. Daschle's excuse? According to a Journal report Friday, "he told committee staff he had grown used to having a car and driver as majority leader and did not think to report the perk on his taxes, according to staff members." How's that for a Leona Helmsley moment: Doesn't everyone have a car and chauffeur, dear?

The poster child for going against tax cheats .only to find out he is one. How many tax cheats will obama put on his staff?

I bet if you started vetting all senators on their taxes, you would probably find quite a number of them with tax issues. When your taxes get past doing a simple 1040-EZ, the tax code gets quite complicated and some things may slip through the cracks.

The question is, do they intentionally, and knowing avoid taxes, or due to personal financial situation, are unaware that they are responsible for more taxes than they actually paid.

Answer: if they use an accountant (as many do), it's intentional.

That's assuming accountants know every piece of tax law. Which many don't. Lawyers don't always give the best advice, and neither do accountants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/us/polit...rss&emc=rss

Under Section 132 of the Internal Revenue Code, the value of transportation services provided for personal use must be included in income,” the report said. “Senator Daschle estimated that he used the car and driver 80 percent for personal use and 20 percent for business.”

The car and driver were not Mr. Daschle’s only problems. The Finance Committee said he failed to report consulting income of $83,333 on his 2007 tax return and overstated the deductions to which he was entitled for charitable contributions from 2005 to 2007. In his amended tax returns, he reduced the deductions by $14,963.

Under his consulting arrangement with InterMedia, the report said, Mr. Daschle received $1 million a year, or $83,333 a month. The payment to Mr. Daschle for May 2007 was omitted from the annual statement of income sent to him by InterMedia. Ms. Backus said the omission resulted from “a clerical error by InterMedia.”

Would the IRS be so understanding if you claimed that you just forgot $83-84,000 in income?

How can biden sit in a room day after day with unpatriotic americans who just forget about helping this country out and paying their fair share. We voted for hope and change . What do we get clinton retreads and tax cheats. A CPA handles all these good ol boys taxes down there

.Timothy Geithner ,failure to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes from 2001 to 2004

http://capoliticalnews.com/s/spip.php?article1222

Rangel is currently under investigation by the House ethics committee for allegedly soliciting donations to his non-profit organization in exchange for legislative favors. He has admitted he failed to pay federal taxes on rental income from his beach house in the Dominican Republic. “I never had any idea that I got any income,” he told reporters at a press conference in September.

Is there no shame

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

Clearly its about what people think they can get away with. Quite a few people make frivolous claims for tax exemptions that don't hold water and end up paying for it down the line. Why should politicians be any different?

Obviously this has implications for ethical conduct - but this is the reason why we have oversight committees.

[Dan J 277]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123353200827537439.html

Now we learn that Mr. Daschle failed to report some $255,000 in income from 2005 through 2007 for a car and driver supplied to him for personal use. The chauffeur service was provided by Leo Hindery, a big Democratic donor who also made Mr. Daschle a bundle by making him a limited partner in InterMedia Partners, a private equity shop.

As a legal tax matter, this isn't even a close call. Mr. Daschle says he used the car service about 80% for personal use, and 20% for business. But his spokeswoman says it only dawned on the Senator last June that this might be taxable income. Mr. Daschle's excuse? According to a Journal report Friday, "he told committee staff he had grown used to having a car and driver as majority leader and did not think to report the perk on his taxes, according to staff members." How's that for a Leona Helmsley moment: Doesn't everyone have a car and chauffeur, dear?

The poster child for going against tax cheats .only to find out he is one. How many tax cheats will obama put on his staff?

I bet if you started vetting all senators on their taxes, you would probably find quite a number of them with tax issues. When your taxes get past doing a simple 1040-EZ, the tax code gets quite complicated and some things may slip through the cracks.

The question is, do they intentionally, and knowing avoid taxes, or due to personal financial situation, are unaware that they are responsible for more taxes than they actually paid.

Answer: if they use an accountant (as many do), it's intentional.

That's assuming accountants know every piece of tax law. Which many don't. Lawyers don't always give the best advice, and neither do accountants.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/us/polit...rss&emc=rss

Under Section 132 of the Internal Revenue Code, the value of transportation services provided for personal use must be included in income," the report said. "Senator Daschle estimated that he used the car and driver 80 percent for personal use and 20 percent for business."

The car and driver were not Mr. Daschle's only problems. The Finance Committee said he failed to report consulting income of $83,333 on his 2007 tax return and overstated the deductions to which he was entitled for charitable contributions from 2005 to 2007. In his amended tax returns, he reduced the deductions by $14,963.

Under his consulting arrangement with InterMedia, the report said, Mr. Daschle received $1 million a year, or $83,333 a month. The payment to Mr. Daschle for May 2007 was omitted from the annual statement of income sent to him by InterMedia. Ms. Backus said the omission resulted from "a clerical error by InterMedia."

Would the IRS be so understanding if you claimed that you just forgot $83-84,000 in income?

How can biden sit in a room day after day with unpatriotic americans who just forget about helping this country out and paying their fair share. We voted for hope and change . What do we get clinton retreads and tax cheats. A CPA handles all these good ol boys taxes down there

.Timothy Geithner ,failure to pay Social Security and Medicare taxes from 2001 to 2004

http://capoliticalnews.com/s/spip.php?article1222

Rangel is currently under investigation by the House ethics committee for allegedly soliciting donations to his non-profit organization in exchange for legislative favors. He has admitted he failed to pay federal taxes on rental income from his beach house in the Dominican Republic. "I never had any idea that I got any income," he told reporters at a press conference in September.

Is there no shame

We currently have a tax gap of $350 billion. A large portion of this is due to individuals under reporting exactly how much they made during the year. Do you report all the cash you were paid during the year for any services rendered? Many people don't, most don't even keep any records.

There is a certain percentage of people who refuse to pay any taxes or try to hide as much of their income as they can from being taxed. There are also people who don't report income due to complexity of personal finances/tax law or from bad advice from an accountant. At least in the second case, its more important that any taxes owed are paid as soon as possible than to continue no-payment on taxes owed.