Sat
Jan 31 2009
02:54 pm
Does anyone pay their taxes anymore?
By: BrantWW

Another millionaire appointee with tax problems...

Former Sen. Tom Daschle failed to pay more than $128,000 in taxes in the three years before Obama nominated him in December to head the Department of Health and Human Services. See the LA Times story on Tom Daschle (link...)

Undoubtedly, this is NOT a Democrat or Republican problem, but it is a problem we should all (regardless of our ideology) be extremely upset about.

That there seems to be an ever-increasing double standard in our country should alarm us all. We little guys are too afraid to so boldly cheat, ignore, underpay, or otherwise stiff the IRS.

On the other hand, rich fat cats on both sides of the isle know they will not hold themselves or their friends accountable so they cheat, ignore, underpay, and stiff the IRS.

No matter how qualified or otherwise esteemed is an individual; he or she must be held accountable to the same standard as the People.

Topics:

I agree, only it's not that simple

Submitted by WhitesCreek on January 31, 2009 - 3:37pm.

Even the people Daschle is paying his refigured taxes to aren't completely sure whether some things should be reported as income. It is the extended scrutiny that Obama has placed on his appointees that have had these guys coming back and paying up all the taxes an agressive CPA may have told them to discount.

(Timothy F. Geithner is a different case. He flat out screwed up on his self employment tax bill, something a CPA would have caught in a second. I think he arrogantly thought he could do his own taxes and made mistake 101)

It's no wonder these rich

Submitted by Roane-Voter on January 31, 2009 - 4:41pm.

It's no wonder these rich politicians are all for raising taxes on the wealthy. Afterall it apparently won't affect them. :)

I agree about Daschle

Submitted by BrantWW on January 31, 2009 - 5:57pm.

I agree about Daschle but as a rule mistakes in reporting income are not taken lightly by the IRS.

However, one almost has to ask would Daschle have gone back and reported the income if he had not been vetted for the appointment. Also, how many more of these current and ex politians are making similar "mistakes" - I understand being agressive in taking deductions or expenses but I always understood unreporting income to be a criminal type error. I'd hate to think what would happen to me if I happened to underreported my income by $338,589.00.)

And it is not even worth discussing the Geithner deal. I have read some IRS employees who assert that he would be disqualified from most IRS jobs.

WC, I must agree with your assertion that the Obama team is really eyeballing these tax returns. Good for them (and us)!

I hope we all agree that we should not merely rely on the Obama team to find these discrepancies. We should demand more accountability when it comes to our appointed and elected leaders.

In anycase, it has gotten to the point where nominees have to be asked two vetting questions right off the bat:

Do you pay your taxes?

Did you make any under-the-table payments to a Nanny, who is an undocumented immigrant?

I have other problems with

Submitted by WhitesCreek on January 31, 2009 - 6:17pm.

I have other problems with Daschle. He has received speaking fees from the very people he will be regulating if approved. I think he means well and would be a good HHS Secretary but he used his time out of office to clear the big bucks and that is exactly what Obama has promised to end. Why not start now?

What About The...

Submitted by Crappieman on February 1, 2009 - 3:28pm.

Clinton Foundation? Does this not pose some ethical problems for Hillary as Sec. of State? How can Geithner a media proclaimed brilliant economist blame his tax woes on Turbo Tax?

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