In the Blogs: Bodies Politic

Highlights of some of our favorite tax-related blogs from the past week.

Foreign affairs

• IRS Problem Solver Blog: “IRS Proposes a New Tax on Expatriates,” meaning Americans who have renounced U.S. citizenship. What did the man on the street propose on “Monty Python?”: “I would tax all foreigners living abroad…”
• The Tax Times: The OVDP-penalty net spreads farther and wider, potentially to Singapore and Israel.

A-courtin’

• Rubin on Tax: Taxes can often be one of the calmer aspects of prenuptial and postnuptial agreement. A link to slides from the blogger’s recent presentation at the Florida Bar Tax Section.
• Taxable Talk: Verbal arguments in California Franchise Tax Board v. Hyatt take place this Pearl Harbor Day, the second time this case (which includes the Franchise Tax Board in Nevada and some trash rummaging) has reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
• Federal Tax Crimes: The Second Circuit affirms a district court holding applying the crime-fraud exception to the attorney-client privilege.

Different kind of pestilence

• Tax Girl: South Carolina’s recent mammoth storms have brought out all kinds of bacteria – including the kind that tries to scam those who would help the victims.
• Taxing Subjects: A reminder of the scams and the S.C. counties recently declared hardest hit.
• Due Diligence: In this week’s roundup: “Two Whistleblowers Help Feds Tag Fifth Third for $85 Million”; “Defense Contractor Hit with Two False Claims Act Suits”; “Medicare Fraud and Ambulances – Last Call”; “Telling the Truth Pays Off”; and “Doctor Loses Patients.”

Bodies politic

• Tax Vox: Given the unemployment rate, you wouldn’t think a speaker of the U.S. Congress would be so hard to find. Also, anybody’s guess whether Democrats will seriously debate tax plans (aside from Clinton’s speed-trader levy), and are algorithms the future of auditing?
• Backtaxeshelp: Speaking of Democrats, “Why Is Clinton Pushing a Tax She Does Everything to Evade?” To wit, the so-called death tax.

For your review

• Tax Maven: Bought your Thanksgiving turkey yet? Started holiday shopping? What about extolling to your clients the benefits of Roth IRA conversions before year’s end?
• Solutions for CPA Firm Leaders: The age-old question to business success: Go in humble or go in like a bull?
• TaxMama: Mama helps the recipient of a $9,000 1099 MISC for items he receives to review. He can’t use most of the booty but also isn’t allowed to sell the items that he will, it seems, have to pay taxes on the retail value of. What to do?
• TurboTax Blog: A look at the myriad tax advantages to the Mr. Ropers of the world who own a rental property.
• Taxjar: Forty-five states and Washington D.C. all have a sales tax, but the exact laws that create sales tax nexus in one state may be a little different in another. A listing of all the states and links to their sales tax laws’ wording.
• H&R Block blog: Tricks to manage work/life balance. Might as well do this now before next tax season, when work simply becomes life.
• Liberty Tax: What to advise clients who make money on Etsy. Handcrafters, it seems, need to create a sense of tax responsibility early in business life.