Topic: Internal Revenue Service
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Playing the IRS card: Six presidents who used the IRS to bash political foes
Since the advent of the federal income tax about a century ago, several presidents – or their zealous underlings – have directed the IRS to use its formidable police powers to harass or punish enemies, political rivals, and administration critics. Here are six infamous episodes.
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Briefing
IRS 101: Seven questions about the tea party scandal
The Internal Revenue Service is under the microscope now, as revelations have emerged that the agency wrongly targeted conservative groups seeking nonprofit status. Here’s an accounting of what has happened, along with the ramifications.
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5 myths about amnesty for illegal immigrants in Senate bill
Under a bipartisan Senate immigration bill, immigrants who have come to the United States illegally are given a "path to citizenship." On close inspection, each of the following five claims about the requirements for illegal immigrants to earn amnesty are not what they seem.
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Income taxes: Five changes for 2012
Here are new income tax provisions to watch for as you work through your 1040 form:
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Ten tax moves to protect yourself from the fiscal cliff
Americans are facing an unprecedented tax increase of nearly $500 billion on Jan. 1, 2013, from the so-called "fiscal cliff." Are you ready? Here are 10 year-end tax strategies I recommend:
All Content
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Small business tax: Who will be affected by changes?
With proposals on the table to change the way that small businesses are taxed, it's worth looking at how different kinds of businesses would be impacted
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Cut the deficit? Go after tax breaks. Yeah, tax breaks.
Many tax breaks are government spending by another name. But tax breaks don't get the scrutiny that direct spending does.
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Apocalypse Not: Harold Camping wrong – again – about 'The Rapture'
Harold Camping had prophesied that the world as we know it would end today. But the time has come and gone, and "The Rapture" has not occurred.
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The great switch by the super rich
Wealthy Americans used to finance the government through tax payments. Now, they just lend it money.
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Spending caps, Medicare vouchers, and magical thinking
The government should subsidize health insurance through refundable tax credits, not by writing checks directly to everybody over 67 years old
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What do John Boehner and Jon Stewart have in common?
Neither Boehner nor Stewart can recognize certain preferences in the tax code for what they really are – spending.
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Dunkin' Donuts IPO: Doughnuts to go public
Dunkin' Donuts IPO announced. But private owners of parent company won't say when, or how many shares will be created for the Baskin-Robbins and Dunkin' Donuts IPO.
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Retirement planning: Is rental property the answer?
Retirement planning by this mother includes buying a second home and renting it out. Is that wise retirement planning? See question No. 5 in this reader mailbag.
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Tax expenditures are not loopholes
Millions of taxpayers benefit from tax breaks, like some itemized deductions. Calling such broad provisions "loopholes" or "earmarks" incorrectly characterizes what they really are.
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A postmortem on tax filing
Tax filing should be made much simpler. Here are a few suggestions of how to do it .
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Greg Mortenson's 'Three Cups of Tea' : Will CBS report harm aid work?
A '60 Minutes' report alleges that Greg Mortenson, author of 'Three Cups of Tea,' may have fabricated some elements of his memoir about building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Mortenson is defending his work.
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How to bear writing a big, fat check to the IRS
It can be painful to drain a bank account to pay taxes, but the money's going to a good cause
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Tax refunds? Fewer. Taxes? Fair, poll says.
Tax refunds are expected by fewer Americans this year, according to an AP poll. A slight majority say their taxes are fair.
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Tax day 2011: Last-minute tips to keep the Internal Revenue Service away
The Internal Revenue Service has taken on a gentler demeanor in recent years, but let's face it: The IRS still wants you to pay what you owe, and to pay it on time. This year, on time means April 18, due to a calendar quirk involving the District of Columbia's celebration of Emancipation Day. State deadlines may vary. Here are nine tips that tax experts (and the friendly Internal Revenue Service itself) offer to help keep you from getting audited, owing a penalty, paying more than you really owe, or having to file an amended return because of a mistake:
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Internal Revenue Service should simplify child-related incentives
Internal Revenue Service should make it easier for people who have children to figure out which tax breaks they qualify for. The internal revenue service should create a uniform definition for children under 19 and eliminate the 'student exception.'
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The Pale King
David Foster Wallace’s posthumous novel, focused on the IRS, offers us the chance “to look once more inside that beautiful mind.”
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Tax day 2011: Four ways to protect your tax returns from data thieves
Tax-related identity theft is the fastest growing kind of identity theft. Between 2005 and 2009 complaints to the Federal Trade Commission tripled from 11,000 to nearly 34,000, according to a Scripps Howard News Service investigation. Thieves steal personal information to use for themselves or sell, or they take it to divert a tax refund into their own pockets. Identity theft, as a whole, is on the decline, but the abundance of personal information in circulation during tax season makes it a prime time for thieves to strike. Here are four tips for keeping your information safe:
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Tax evasion: Why do so many Americans cheat?
Tax evasion, nonpayment, and underpayment are important factors in the $300 billion the IRS doesn't collect each year. Why the tax evasion? Lack of enforcement is one reason.
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Are Americans overtaxed?
Many people would answer a resounding 'yes.' But some experts caution that tax rates, when looked at historically and in comparison with those of other countries, aren't that bad. Here are some statistics – and how the debate might go between those who think taxes are too onerous and those who don't.
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Tax Day 2011: Schedule M could be worth up to $800
On Tax Day 2011, the 'Making Work Pay' tax break, which can be worth up to $800 per household, is one of several tax credits for which filers may be eligible.
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Tax Day 2011: When did America levy its first income tax? The Civil War.
To finance the Civil War, the Union government levied taxes on products, companies, and incomes. How income taxes have – and haven't – changed in the 150 years since.
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Is Trump a Scrooge? A review of his charitable foundation does not impress.
According to The Smoking Gun, an investigatory website that examined the Donald J. Trump Foundation's tax forms, Trump 'may be the least charitable billionaire in the United States.'
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Tax Day 2011: Checking on your refund? There's an IRS app for that.
The IRS has released an app that lets taxpayers track the status of their tax refund via smartphone.
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Libya turmoil highlights US military spending. Next step: cuts.
US military action in Libya has led to new concerns about defense spending in Washington. It's time for Congress to make cuts.
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Tax Day 2011: What's new for homeowners
Homeowners who got the first-time homebuyers tax credit in 2008, beware. You have to start paying it back on Tax Day 2011. But other homeowners are in line for new deductions.
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