Re: [MLUG - DISCUSSION] Al Franken - Tax Dodger

["Jonathan King" <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

On 5/2/08, Mike Miller <EMAIL:PROTECTED> wrote:
> On Fri, 2 May 2008, Jerry Gamblin wrote:
>
> > http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jP0e6BXf00
> >
> > Just like a Democrat, tax the hell out of anything that moves, excpet
> yourself... then blame your accountant when a Republican blogger figures it
> out.
>
> You are so generous and even-handed!  I'm happy to accuse a tax dodger of
> tax dodging, but I don't know how the system works.  So if he gives a talk
> in some state, then he is supposed to pay a tax in that state, right?  Who
> tells him to do that?  Do they send him a letter about it?  Don't you think
> it is his accountant's job to keep on top of that kind of thing?  I would
> have no idea about such taxes -- they seem really weird to me.

I think there is a big difference between this "method" of not paying
taxes and what most people think of when they hear the term.
Entertainers, sports team members, and the like are often subject to
paying income taxes in states where they perform, even if they are
there literally only two hours. Obviously, it's a pain, and it's
something you hope and expect your accountant to take care of.
Needless to say...Franken's didn't. Interesting, this apparently means
that Franken over-paid taxes in his home state, because he seems to
have reported the income on his Minnesota return...just not the tax
documents he was supposed to file in 17 other states.

I am willing to bet we will now see a flurry of similar stories,
because I am sure it's not obvious to a lot of people that they need
to do this.

At some level, I am surprised that Franken didn't notice this before,
because entertainers have been subject to this kind of thing for a
long time, and he's been in the business for decades. I did see
something about the lack of payment having been from Franken's
personal corporation (another thing that entertainers often do if they
are big earners because it makes it easier for them to write off
expenses).

Meanwhile, I have to personally feel a bit sheepish about non-payment
of taxes stories since I, and millions of other people, have
traditionally blown off paying sales taxes for online purchases. I am
dead certain that everybody else on this list sends those checks in
every quarter without fail. :-)

jking


>
> Mike
>
>
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