In A Good Tax, tax expert Joan Youngman skillfully considers how to improve the operation of the property tax and supply the information that is often missing in public debate. She analyzes the legal, administrative, and political challenges to the property tax in the United States and offers recommendations for its improvement. The book is accessibly written for policy analysts and public officials who are dealing with specific property tax issues and for those concerned with property tax issues in general.
An engaging and enlightening account of taxation told through lively, dramatic, and sometimes ludicrous stories drawn from around the world and across the ages Governments have always struggled to tax in ways that are effective and tolerably fair. Sometimes they fail grotesquely, as when, in 1898, the British ignited a rebellion in Sierra Leone by imposing a tax on huts—and, in repressing it, ended up burning the very huts they intended to tax. Sometimes they succeed astonishingly, as when, in eighteenth-century Britain, a cut in the tax on tea massively increased revenue. In this entertaining book, two leading authorities on taxation, Michael Keen and Joel Slemrod, provide a fascinating and informative tour through these and many other episodes in tax history, both preposterous and dramatic—from the plundering described by Herodotus and an Incan tax payable in lice to the (misremembered) Boston Tea Party and the scandals of the Panama Papers. Along the way, readers meet a colorful cast of tax rascals, and even a few tax heroes. While it is hard to fathom the inspiration behind such taxes as one on ships that tended to make them sink, Keen and Slemrod show that yesterday’s tax systems have more in common with ours than we may think. Georgian England’s window tax now seems quaint, but was an ingenious way of judging wealth unobtrusively. And Tsar Peter the Great’s tax on beards aimed to induce the nobility to shave, much like today’s carbon taxes aim to slow global warming. Rebellion, Rascals, and Revenue is a surprising and one-of-a-kind account of how history illuminates the perennial challenges and timeless principles of taxation—and how the past holds clues to solving the tax problems of today.
The president of Forbes, Inc. presents his argument for a flat tax, suggesting that the new tax would be fair and efficient, with the new tax form being no bigger than a postcard and without any of the loopholes that currently exist.
Taxpayer champion and enrolled agent Bonnie Lee puts the IRS under the microscope and uncovers proven methods, and surprisingly simple strategies to minimize your taxable income, maximize deductions, and, ultimately—add thousands back to your business’ bottom line! Do you owe an insurmountable sum to the IRS? Pay pennies on the dollar. Secret formula the IRS uses to determine an acceptable offer is revealed—Page 246 Save tax dollars simply by reorganizing your workspace—Page 17 Stuff tax dollars back into your pocket by fixing errors on your balance sheet—Page 50 Eat tax-free! Some meal expenses are 100 % deductible. Find out what qualifies—Page 56 Got a great hobby you’re turning into a bona fide business? Deduct the losses by following these guidelines—Page 99 Is your home office a red flag?—Page 107 You inherited Grandma’s house. Do you have to pay taxes on it?—Page 121 Can you write off your clothing?—Page 133 Under IRS audit? Learn “audit speak” to deal effectively with the IRS—Page 215
In your lifetime you will spend more money on taxes than on anything else. Despite that fact, you likely know the current prices of movies and milk but don't know what your marginal tax rate is. You know where to get the cheapest gallon of gas (to save a buck or two), but don't give a thought to the tax strategies you should be using right now that would save you thousands. Why? Is it too confusing? Too unpleasant? In Tax Insight, Casey Murdock opens the world of taxes to your view with amazing simplicity. You will “see the light,” and more importantly, see the savings within your reach. With everyday language and real-life examples, Tax Insight will guide you to:- Not pay a penny more in taxes than you should.- Avoid commonly preached tax strategies that could actually cost you more than they save.- Capture all of the deductions and credits that you are due.- Know whether to file your own return (to save money) or hire a tax professional (to save money).- Utilize the entire year to implement tax reducing strategies.- Understand the key components of the tax return and how they work together – for your good or ill.Worrying about a decision that affects a few dollars -while paying no attention to those decisions that affect thousands of dollars -makes no sense. Take control of the greatest expense of your life. The kind of professional knowledge and insight provided in this book would cost you hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you were to hire a professional. But now, for the price of feeding a family at McDonalds, you can get the critical information that you need to save big money on taxes the rest of your life.
Taxing Women comprises both an insightful, critical analysis of the gender biases in current tax laws and a wake-up call for all those concerned with gender justice to pay more attention to the pervasive impact of such laws. Providing real-life examples, Edward McCaffery shows how tax laws are actually written to punish married couples who file jointly. No dual-income household can afford not to read this book before filing their taxes. "Taxing Women is a must-have primer for any woman who wants to understand how our current tax system affects her family's economic condition. In plain English, McCaffery explains how the tax code stacks the deck against women and why it's in women's economic interest to lead the next great tax rebellion."—Patricia Schroeder "McCaffery is an expert on the interplay between taxes and social policy. . . . Devastating in his analysis. . . . Intriguing."—Harris Collingwood, Working Women "A wake-up call regarding the inequalities of an archaic system that actually penalizes women for working."—Publishers Weekly
