tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807403883562053852.post9017672143791659641..comments2024-03-27T08:40:31.785-06:00Comments on Clayton Cramer.: TaxesClayton Cramerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03258083387204776812noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807403883562053852.post-90255697283427089842012-02-24T13:15:09.152-07:002012-02-24T13:15:09.152-07:00I don't doubt that IRS agents themselves can b...I don't doubt that IRS agents themselves can be pleasant to work with. While trying to fill out our taxes, my wife had to call them to ask a few questions, and we got them answered as well as we could expect, given the complexity of the tax code. It's just that, our tax code has reached a certain complexity so that no one could be sure just what it says, exactly. And <i>that's</i> what scares me the most.<br /><br />Indeed, I once worked with a church clerk, who was a former IRS agent (retired), and I thought he was a pleasant person to work with!<br /><br />When I mentioned IRS agents committing fraud, I had in mind a specific story, of an IRS agent (there may have been two different agents, or two different stories about the same agent) who committed fraud by changing forms so that a person would get a "bigger" return, and then would pocket the difference. This is why I included IRS agents as potential sources of fraud, along with tax preparers and individual filers themselves.<br /><br />The more complex the tax code becomes, the easier it will be to get away with such fraud! (Good luck trying to simplify it, though...)<br /><br />In the meantime, I <i>really</i> hope that Tax Masters gets what's coming to them! As well as that IRS agent or two, and tax cheats in general.<br /><br />(My sympathy goes to the tax protesters, though, because they are either idiots who believe the law isn't what it is, or they are standing on their principles, even if I disagree with one or two of them. It's hard work, tilting at windmills, or even facing legitimate giants without the means and support to actually successfully challenge them!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807403883562053852.post-79706409586484279942012-02-23T12:49:21.304-07:002012-02-23T12:49:21.304-07:00Aaron: all the income was from the U.S., and she w...Aaron: all the income was from the U.S., and she was not subject to Canadian income taxes.<br /><br />Epsilon: My experiences over the years with IRS have generally been quite positive, and this was no exception. I may even write a heretical article and see if PJMedia will take it: "My pleasant and professional encounter with IRS Collections."<br /><br />I use TurboTax, but I did not want to try and find the 2006-2008 versions somewhere in my desk and reinstall them. In retrospect, it would have been faster.Clayton Cramerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03258083387204776812noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807403883562053852.post-62560132037630502602012-02-23T12:40:50.042-07:002012-02-23T12:40:50.042-07:00To me, I hold the creators of the tax system as mu...To me, I hold the creators of the tax system as much responsible for this, as Tax Masters. Granted, Tax Masters committed fraud, and I hope they suffer greatly for it...but the fact is, our tax system has become so complicated, that we need to get help just for filing taxes! And the tax system is so complicated, neither me, nor the tax accountant I hired, nor the IRS itself, knows whether or not I filed "correctly".<br /><br />This opens the door for all sorts of fraud, from tax filers to tax preparers to IRS agents themselves.<br /><br />Yet another reason to abolish income tax altogether! (Although the Fair Tax, in its attempt to be "revenue neutral"--as if anything that taxes us the amounts we currently pay could be called "fair"--will likely look just as bad a few decades from now.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807403883562053852.post-54705842932611003082012-02-23T12:00:14.306-07:002012-02-23T12:00:14.306-07:00Was the American Mother living in Canada at the ti...Was the American Mother living in Canada at the time? If so there's a nifty tax treaty that reduces/offsets American taxes owed compared to Canadian taxes she has paid.Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08146728790019377401noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807403883562053852.post-76161331818778078632012-02-23T10:42:52.231-07:002012-02-23T10:42:52.231-07:00I can heartily recommend TurboTax for general tax ...I can heartily recommend TurboTax for general tax filing, if you want to DIY but don't want to actually fill out forms and have to read the tax code.<br /><br />(Did that once, moved on.)Sigivaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16152366541957466049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807403883562053852.post-24421536311219836522012-02-23T01:12:49.563-07:002012-02-23T01:12:49.563-07:00A friend of mine works for H&R Block. A few mo...A friend of mine works for H&R Block. A few months ago Tax Masters came up and she said that this is SOP for them. They collect their money up front and then do nothing to help the client for months, if ever. <br /><br />There seem to be several investigations of the company going on and hopefully there will be some prosecutions.TOTWTYTRhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17221321904364051792noreply@blogger.com