Caffeine Deductions… In Utah?

The Salt Lake City Tribune reports an attempt to tax caffeine: Have a Coke and a tax. That’s what Rep. Craig Frank wants his colleagues in the Legislature to consider. Frank, R-American Fork, has asked lawmakers over the next year to study the potential for taxing caffeine, a response to proposals this session to hike [...]

Death Beer and Taxes

// Lots of discussion in the presidential debate and society in general over how “tax breaks” are distributed across society. Here’s a funny little essay called Bar School Economics byDavid R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. Professor of Economics, University of Georgia Bar Stool Economics Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill [...]

Last Minute Filers: Caveat Tax Preparer Emptor!

Caveat emptor – Latin for “let the buyer beware” is just as applicable to tax prep services as for tangible goods. // The approaching April 15th tax filing deadline (just 57 hours left in California at the moment of this post!) has many Americans racing the clock to file their federal taxes. Monday brought a [...]

Tax Return Preparer Fraud

FS-2006-16, February 2006 // Return preparer fraud generally involves the preparation and filing of false income tax returns by preparers who claim inflated personal or business expenses, false deductions, unallowable credits or excessive exemptions on returns prepared for their clients. Preparers may also manipulate income figures to obtain tax credits, such as the Earned Income [...]

Find A Tax Preparer

When you sign your 1040 form, you agree to abide by the tax law making you responsible for paying your taxes, regardless of who prepares your return.  If there are errors, innocent or otherwise, the Internal Revenue Service looks for the taxpayer, not the person who filled out the forms. Before you give your sensitive [...]