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WE NOW RESUME OUR REGULARLY-SCHEDULED PROGRAMMING

April 20, 2007

Tax season is over. Or not.

If you tried to file online using Turbotax when their e-file server crashed, tax season ended yesterday.

If you live in the Northeast and were affected by the big storm, tax season doesn't end until next Thursday, April 26.

And tax deadlines for those affected by the Virginia Tech shootings are automatically extended to October 15.

Meanwhile, the Tax Update returns to the air after a two-day break. A lot can happen in two days:

- The IRS Commissioner announced his departure from the agency to become president of the American Red Cross. Will he have to testify before Congress any less in this new job?

- Treasury Secretary Paulson doused any hopes that the administration might make any effort at tax reform in its last two years. That's too bad, as a cleanup of the code is overdue. Given the partisan environment in Congress, it may be a hopeless cause for now anyway, but it's surely hopeless if the White House doesn't lead.

- The Iowa Senate approved the plan to bribe filmmakers in to make movies in Iowa through transferable tax credits. The rest of us now get to pay extra credits to subsidize Tom Arnold's next visit home. Harold Hill would approve. 48 senators voted to subsidize one industy with money from every other industry in the state. Two senators - Quirmbach of Ames and Hartsuch of Bettendorf - stood up for the rest of us.

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