NationStates Jolt Archive

In the March 2, 2009 issue of Forbes, there is a whole article devoted to tax-cheating tricks. The article claims it can also be used for "honest" tax-payers, though. But then again, The Expert At The Card Table claims it can be used for "honest" poker-players.

What is NSG's opinion of financial magazines offering tax-evasion advice?

What is NSG's opinion of financial magazines offering tax-evasion advice?

Since all taxation is illegitimate, any assistance given to help protect the sanctity of the individual from the state is laudable.

Best way to cheat on your taxes, don't pay 'em. Works for politicians.

What is NSG's opinion of financial magazines offering tax-evasion advice?

Depends. There's a world of difference between avoiding taxes and evading taxes. Which one did they offer advice on?

it depends on the advice.

if its flat out cheating i guess id be reluctant to use those methods in the year they are published and are fresh in the irs agent's minds

In the March 2, 2009 issue of Forbes, there is a whole article devoted to tax-cheating tricks.
Link or source?

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0302/030_taxes_cheat_pro.html
Oh, I see. Did you even read the article? Because every third sentence seems to be "Go straight, or when you get caught your ass is ultimately theirs."

Tips on how to use the law to your best advantage, fine. Otherwise, no. There's a difference between "tax cheating" and "using the tax code to your advantage"

Depends. There's a world of difference between avoiding taxes and evading taxes. Which one did they offer advice on?

Both, most evading. I.E., illegal methods.

Depends. Are we talking about actual tax evasion, or loopholes in the law?

Link or source?

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2009/0302/030_taxes_cheat_pro.html
Oh, I see. Did you even read the article? Because every third sentence seems to be "Go straight, or when you get caught your ass is theirs."

Yes, I have read it.

No, it does not say that. Merely that one should "appear" straight.

Yes, I have read it.

No, it does not say that. Merely that one should "appear" straight.
Funny -- because it ain't what you implied it's about. But hey, now that the link's up others can read it and see what they think.

Since all taxation is illegitimate

No its not.

Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's and what is God's to God, and since that pretty much covers everything nothing for you!!

In the March 2, 2009 issue of Forbes, there is a whole article devoted to tax-cheating tricks. The article claims it can also be used for "honest" tax-payers, though. But then again, The Expert At The Card Table claims it can be used for "honest" poker-players.

What is NSG's opinion of financial magazines offering tax-evasion advice?

Putting their readers on the same footing with the Secretary of the Treasury and Mr. Daschle? (also Mister Rangel, and others...)

PUBLIC SERVICE.

Putting their readers on the same footing with the Secretary of the Treasury and Mr. Daschle? (also Mister Rangel, and others...)

PUBLIC SERVICE.
It also points out that they all got served.

Funny -- because it ain't what you implied it's about. But hey, now that the link's up others can read it and see what they think.

Daschle should have known better, but maybe it's understandable if ordinary folks think this way....

If you've been naughty and are selected for a face-to-face audit, send a representative in your place, advises Charles Rettig, a Beverly Hills tax litigator. If the IRS agent asks a loaded question--say, about cash receipts--and a taxpayer lies, he has just committed the felony of making a false statement to a federal official. "If he asks me a tough question, my answer is ‘I'll find out,'" Rettig confides. Plus, he says, thanks to currency transaction reports banks and others must now file, the agent is more likely than ever to know you're lying. To be extra safe, send a lawyer instead of a CPA; what you tell a lawyer has more protection in the event the case turns criminal.

That is fairly explicit.

Since all taxation is illegitimate, any assistance given to help protect the sanctity of the individual from the state is laudable.

If taxation is illegitimate, then the existence of the government is illegitimate (since it requires money), and laws are illegitimate, and since the final clause is an oxymoron, so is the rest of your idea.

Horay! Score one for free speech!

Horay! Score one for free speech!

Nobody ever suggested Forbes should be "censored"; I do not believe freedom of speech is an issue here.

If taxation is illegitimate, then the existence of the government is illegitimate (since it requires money), and laws are illegitimate, and since the final clause is an oxymoron, so is the rest of your idea.

I think every government should do what Monaco does. Abolish income tax and set up state operated casinos.

I think every government should do what Monaco does. Abolish income tax and set up state operated casinos.

Sounds fine to me: the rich become richer and the poor pay all the taxes.

Sounds fine to me: the rich become richer and the poor pay all the taxes.

Hey, rich people gamble too. In Vegas, they call them "whales" and give them special treatment because they make so much money for the casinos.

What is NSG's opinion of financial magazines offering tax-evasion advice?

In the case of this particular article they haven't given away any tricks that anyone filing their taxes hasn't already thought of. "Not reporting non-disclosed income" is right up there with "not filing" as a way to avoid paying taxes -- it works right up until you get audited, and then it ceases to work completely. Also, Forbes kind of sucks as a financial magazine.

Not that I go out of my way to look for tax dodges, but I've never seen anything in the press that's more sophisticated than what I've seen coming out of the IRS. Their continuing-ed stuff that they put out for tax pros goes into quite a bit of detail on cheats & scams they've discovered, I think because they want to explain exactly why some scheme is in fact a cheat and not a legitimate tax-avoidance strategy, since there are some pretty odd legal ones out there*, and they don't want to see people get duped. I figure if the IRS is fine with it, I'm not going to quibble.

*One can, for instance, take depreciation on a cow being used for breeding purposes. There are lots of slightly dirty jokes about this.

That is fairly explicit.

no, it isn't. It's good advice. When the government is investigating you, always get a lawyer. Innocent, guilty, not sure, doesn't matter. Get a lawyer.

no, it isn't. It's good advice. When the government is investigating you, always get a lawyer. Innocent, guilty, not sure, doesn't matter. Get a lawyer.

Workin hard to ensure job security eh?

That is fairly explicit.

It's very good advice. If you've got a run of the mill fuck up you can hire someone like me to talk to them, if you've been fucking around you need an actual lawyer and not just an enrolled agent.

In the March 2, 2009 issue of Forbes, there is a whole article devoted to tax-cheating tricks. The article claims it can also be used for "honest" tax-payers, though. But then again, The Expert At The Card Table claims it can be used for "honest" poker-players.

What is NSG's opinion of financial magazines offering tax-evasion advice?

Don't look at me to stop the rich people from sharing/drawing attention to their secrets

I don't see what the problem is. If it's not illegal.



Since all taxation is illegitimate, any assistance given to help protect the sanctity of the individual from the state is laudable.

Since all taxation is illegitimate, any assistance given to help protect the sanctity of the individual from the state is laudable.

I hope you enjoy not having any legal or emergency services protection.

You people must be awfully conservative if you can't conceive of a means of funding government other than taxation.

I'm the only legitimate radical here.

I hope you enjoy not having any legal or emergency services protection.
You don't live in the US do you.

[I know you don't, it's just for the show.]

Legal protection costs you outrageous money you pay strictly out of your pocket, and the main emergency service, medical, is paid by a $7,000 a year insurance.

You people must be awfully conservative if you can't conceive of a means of funding government other than taxation.

I'm the only legitimate radical here.

yes yes, you're the biggest, toughest radical in your american history class

*pats*

hey if you can get out of taxes in any small part, Then more power to you!!! you too dumb or cowardly to avoid paying taxes then just leave the rest of us alone.

This (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090218/ap_on_bi_ge/ubs_secrets) was mentioned in the Forbes article, but they didn't mention the size of the fine: $780MM. Wow! I mean, I know UBS will earn that back in less than a year, but still, that's a pretty big fine. And I love this quote from the chairman:

Client confidentiality, to which UBS remains committed, was never designed to protect fraudulent acts or the identity of those clients, who, with the active assistance of bank personnel, misused the confidentiality protections.

Really? Swiss Bank secrecy was never intended to hide the assets of rich foreigners? Despite the fact that it's been used that way since the beginning? How interesting.

It also points out that they all got served.

So...when are they going to serve the prison terms that non-elected-non-millionaires have to serve when they cheat on their taxes to that extent?