Tax Fraud

I was originally planning to write something funny tonight and have all of you falling off your chairs in laughter. However, I got distracted after being at my office late this afternoon. The phones kept ringing. People kept asking questions about credits and deductions involving children. It is so funny that they even call because they seem to already have all the answers (at least the ones they want to hear). What they are really doing is getting just enough info from us on how something is applied by the rules and then they take their 'story' to someone else and have them fix 'em up because now, you see, they know what to say to get that return prepared the way they wanted it - - you know, the illegal, cheating way.

I am always annoyed when I get a phone call from someone wanting to know how to best take advantage of the tax paying system. Today I dealt with several calls wherein an attorney advised his client to call one of my offices and ask who gets to claim the children of a marriage. Attorneys are notorious for doing this. They seem to think that tax law is cut and dry - - I guess they don't realize that there are filing statuses that have their own set of rules, dependents that have their own sets of rules, and tax credits and well as tax deductions that also have their own sets of rules. Usually the clients of the attorney are involved in a Bankruptcy, or will soon be, and the lawyers seem to be advising their clients to find the best way around the government capturing monies from any tax refund and paying it back to the Federal Courts which would then be sent to the creditors. This is the scenario the taxpayer would have us believe. I cannot count the number of college students that are graduating and going directly to the bankruptcy courts to file. Their debt is primarily credit card debt as federal student loans do not qualify for bankruptcy relief.

I find it so distasteful when people show no conscience or a sense of self - respect as well as personal responsibility. "Let's just let the courts pay for it - - why should we have to" - - I have heard that more than once.

I can get even more annoyed when I have to deal with some schmuck that wants to get loud when he finds out he cannot claim a deduction for paying child support. Well, duh!!! The government doesn't give me special additional deductions for raising my children in a home with their father and taking no assistance from any other sources. We have become such a large society of people that don't want to take care of themselves or any others they should be responsible for in life.

Why do we keep allowing these types of things to happen. Don't we realize that for every fraud committed, we, the average taxpayer, pay more taxes to make up the deficit. When are we going to say 'never again' and put a stop to this mess. You don't know how - - try again - - it is called being informed of former policies and future proposed policies that of those we are voting in to office. It seems as though on the local and state levels we have become so incredibly lax and that we just keep letting the same people get elected over and over and over. Just like in the Senate of the United States - - we have people that have spent decades in the House and Senate. Where are the term limits?

I have observed so many shady thngs over the past 10 years that I have been dealing with taxes. I quit working for attorneys because of the corruption in the area and thought tax law would be nice and quiet - - WRONG - - I am not saying that the paid preparers are to blame for this, I am saying the taxpayers are to blame for this. The taxpayers and politicians that have bastardized the system need to be horsewhipped!

There is so much more I want to say but under the Rules of Ethical Considerations, set in force by our government, I am not allowed to really spill the beans here. I could be fined up to $100,000 and spend 10 years in jail if I disclose certain types of information to the government, press or even and innocent bystander. And Rob wonders why I am a little grumpy during the first 15 1/2 weeks of the year!!

I will do my best to lighten the mood tomorrow with something funny - - I have been having some serious blonde, senior moments lately. My class has also been giving me alot of ammunition to use. Talk to ya'll very soon.