The Julius Brooks Jazz Trio improved the lunch hour in Downtown this afternoon.
Improve the chances of a deserving nominee to be our 2007 "Taxpayer of the Year." Consider one of the lesser known candidates - someone like Creed J. Pearson, who offered to settle his own back taxes by auditing the Scientologists.
Check out all of the worthy nominees here, and vote daily through December 31!
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There's lots of good music this time of year on the Des Moines Skywalk system. The Scott Davis Quartet entertained at Capitol Square today. Yes, they are a quartet; the bass player is the invisible guy in the middle.
Celebrate the holidays by participating in our "Taxpayer of the Year" voting. Vote daily through December 31.
You can learn about our worthy nominees here.
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It's time, ladies and gentlemen, for our annual recognition of a taxpayer who has found a way to stand out in world of taxes. The nomination criteria is flexible; celebrity helps, but is not requires. So without further ado, let the voting begin!
The nominees and their tax-related fame are outlined below.
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I wonder if this excuse had ever worked before?
The feds charged Anthony Vincent Miller with evading $2.4 million over three years. The jury acquitted him for one year and deadlocked on the other two, on the basis of this (from the Pittsburgh Star-Tribune):
Lawyers for Miller, who now lives in Melbourne, Fla., argued that a chronic obsessive-compulsive disorder made it nearly impossible for him to perform certain tasks in a timely manner, such as paying his bills.
Because of his condition, the lawyers argued, Miller relied on an accountant, who led him to believe he had a three-year extension to pay the taxes.
Neat. It's a cynical blend of the venerable "blame the accountant defense" with "obsessive compulsive disorder":
In response to their obsessions, most people with OCD resort to repetitive behaviors called compulsions. The most common of these are washing and checking. Other compulsive behaviors include counting (often while performing another compulsive action such as hand washing), repeating, hoarding, and endlessly rearranging objects in an effort to keep them in precise alignment with each other.
Amazingly, Mr. Miller's obsessions apparently did not involve paying his $2.4 million tax liability.
Not only does this creative defense get Mr. Miller off the hook, it qualifies him as a nominee for our coveted 2007 Taxpayer-of-the-Year award. But take heart, taxpayers - nominations remain open!
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The items included in the Tax Update Blog are informational only and are not meant as tax advice. Consult with your tax advisor to determine how any item applies to your situation.
Joe Kristan writes the Tax Update items, and any opinions expressed or implied are not neccesarily shared by anyone else at Roth & Company, P.C. Address questions or comments on Tax Updates to