36 Obama Aides Owe $833,000 In Back Taxes

[woolfe9999]

I guess it's simple to me: You make money, you owe taxes. You make lots of money, you owe lots of taxes. I don't understand how people, knowing they are going to owe come April 15th, cannot budget ahead of time to cover what they owe. If the article author is a liar, then he's/she's a liar, I could care less. All I care about is the people (and the people under them helping them deliver their demands) asking us to give more as they spend morer (yes, I made up a word), actually pay what they owe when they owe it. I don't think that's too much to ask, since, it's expected of us common folk.

When you say doing nothing wrong, do you mean doing nothing they shouldn't be doing in the spirit of income and taxes, or, doing nothing wrong based on the letter of the law? Those can be two radically different things, I'd like to know which.

I mean that what they're doing is a) not illegal, b) not costing the taxpayers because you have to pay interest (plus a small penalty) on installment payments, and c) not immoral for any reason I can see. If you owe a debt and agree with the creditor to make structured payments with interest, there isn't anything wrong with that. You can say they should have budgeted ahead of time, but so what? It isn't costing you or me anything. Loads of people in both government and the private sector are doing this at any given time.

 

[PokerGuy]

Unlike an op-ed from a left wing newspaper. Wait, is there any such thing as a left wing newspaper?

Saying "newspaper" is generally sufficient, with minor exceptions.

 

[MovingTarget]

Party isn't relevant here. Both D and R say that these should pay what they owe. Even the article mentions that this situation isn't new.

 

[Throckmorton]

I owe taxes. Am I corrupt?

 

[woolfe9999]

I'm not suggesting that anyone be ruined and I expect them to be treated the same as anyone else. A payment plan makes perfect sense. It just needs to be done and while everyone should pay their due it seems especially important for those who have the public trust to do so. Party is irrelevant.

It's especially important for people in government to not be cheating on their taxes. I agree with that. They have to set an example. These statistics, however, tell us nothing about who is or isn't cheating on their taxes. They are offered up to imply it by way of innuendo, for partisan purposes.

 

[MovingTarget]

Saying "newspaper" is generally sufficient, with minor exceptions.

That depends on where you live. Down here, newspapers are heavily right-leaning.

 

[chucky2]

I mean that what they're doing is a) not illegal, b) not costing the taxpayers because you have to pay interest (plus a small penalty) on installment payments, and c) not immoral for any reason I can see. If you owe a debt and agree with the creditor to make structured payments with interest, there isn't anything wrong with that. You can say they should have budgeted ahead of time, but so what? It isn't costing you or me anything. Loads of people in both government and the private sector are doing this at any given time.

But their payment was due by April 15th. Why are they not paying it? Are they taking advantage of the legal tax code to make money at the taxpayers expense (i.e. the country would be better off short or long term if they'd paid by 4/15)? If they're doing that, they shouldn't be.

My point is this: It should be exceptional circumstances to owe back taxes. The types of circumstances that happen so infrequently, they're counted on one hand during your lifetime, if not a finger or two on that one hand. My sneaking suspicion is that 'oweing back taxes' is a sneaky legal way to make more money and/or avoiding having to pay on time, and not because these 36 folks all had once in a lifetime exceptional circumstances and just couldn't pay.

To be clear: I'm not against the concept of back taxes. I'm against people playing the system 'owing back taxes' when they should be making their full obligation for the previous year on 4/15 (or at the latest 10/15, if they're filing an extension).

Chuck

 

[FerrelGeek]

What 'journalism' is credible these days? You think the mainstream media has never cherry-picked things? It doesn't matter what admin, what public officials, blah blah blah. If you owe taxes, it's your responsibility to pay them - period. It's not that hard, kids.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It's especially important for people in government to not be cheating on their taxes. I agree with that. They have to set an example. These statistics, however, tell us nothing about who is or isn't cheating on their taxes. They are offered up to imply it by way of innuendo, for partisan purposes.

I understand. I was thinking of the broader principle and disregarded the partisan aspect out of hand. I see what you are referring to, but it registers as mental static that I just filter out.

 

[woolfe9999]

But their payment was due by April 15th. Why are they not paying it? Are they taking advantage of the legal tax code to make money at the taxpayers expense (i.e. the country would be better off short or long term if they'd paid by 4/15)? If they're doing that, they shouldn't be.

My point is this: It should be exceptional circumstances to owe back taxes. The types of circumstances that happen so infrequently, they're counted on one hand during your lifetime, if not a finger or two on that one hand. My sneaking suspicion is that 'oweing back taxes' is a sneaky legal way to make more money and/or avoiding having to pay on time, and not because these 36 folks all had once in a lifetime exceptional circumstances and just couldn't pay.

To be clear: I'm not against the concept of back taxes. I'm against people playing the system 'owing back taxes' when they should be making their full obligation for the previous year on 4/15 (or at the latest 10/15, if they're filing an extension).

Chuck

When my wife and I had to do this about 10 years back it was because we had some unexpected medical expenses for our daughter. I don't think speculation of bad motives is a very sound basis for an argument here. Particularly during a recession, where, for example, you might expect that some of the people's spouses are out of work. Yet even if some had a bad motive, it still isn't costing us anything because they're paying interest and penalties.

- wolf

 

[piasabird]

Garnish their wages. Just have the IRS sieze their bank accunts.

 

[Atomic Playboy]

This reminds me of all those commercials I see on TV advertising lawyers for people who owe tens of thousands of dollars in back taxes. Every time I see one of those ads all I can think is "How the fuck do you owe tens of thousands in back taxes and how are these lawyers proud of the fact that they reduced someone's tax liability from 50,000 to 15,000?" If you don't pay the tax that you owe, you are unAmerican, plain and simple, and you have no right to ANY of the benefits that come from living in this country. You want to reap the rewards? Pay your fair share.

Tax-dodging fuckwits make me sick to my ass, regardless of their political leanings.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Garnish their wages. Just have the IRS sieze their bank accunts.

Why not have a payment plan like virtually everyone else would? What would being vindictive accomplish? It's a problem, we know it, we know it should corrected. Let's get that done and move on.

 

[woolfe9999]

Why not have a payment plan like virtually everyone else would? What would being vindictive accomplish? It's a problem, we know it, we know it should corrected. Let's get that done and move on.

Moreover, what he suggested is exactly what the IRS *does* if the people don't make their payments on time... Why get draconian about it when the person is making timely payments, with interest?

 

[fskimospy]

Unlike an op-ed from a left wing newspaper. Wait, is there any such thing as a left wing newspaper?

Did you see my other post above where I said op-eds were generally worthless? Op-eds from ideological outfits are even more worthless than usual.

 

[thegimp03]

Call me shocked.

 

[chucky2]

When my wife and I had to do this about 10 years back it was because we had some unexpected medical expenses for our daughter.

Sorry to hear about that. Something like that, I have no problem with.

I don't think speculation of bad motives is a very sound basis for an argument here. Particularly during a recession, where, for example, you might expect that some of the people's spouses are out of work. Yet even if some had a bad motive, it still isn't costing us anything because they're paying interest and penalties.

- wolf

Oh, I think we should very much be skeptical. Anytime someone in government is not doing what the rest of us are expected to do (pay our taxes on time), we should be highly skeptical. I don't trust a single one of these mf's, not a one.

 

[woolfe9999]

Sorry to hear about that. Something like that, I have no problem with.



Oh, I think we should very much be skeptical. Anytime someone in government is not doing what the rest of us are expected to do (pay our taxes on time), we should be highly skeptical. I don't trust a single one of these mf's, not a one.

What is different about someone on a federal payroll in terms of what you would assume about why they pay their taxes in installments? I can understand the skepticism for the politicians and their staff, perhaps. But for the rank and file, I don't get it. I know lots of people in both the private and the public sector and I don't really see any differences in terms of group generalization.

 

[chucky2]

The difference is the people in government are on the publics dime, the people in the private sector are on their own. People taking Our money should be paying what they owe like they're supposed to, not abusing the tax system so they can employ whatever scheme they're employing.

If every one of these 36 people had some kind of exceptional circumstance that couldn't be planned for, was so over the top they couldn't make the payment(s) on time, then I'll be the first to say they were justified and did the right thing.

Given the corruption in government (and I'm not talking just outright illegal corruption, I'm talking about doing something legal but abusing the spirit of the system), what do you think the chances are that all 36 of these people are in that type of circumstance?

 

[fskimospy]

The difference is the people in government are on the publics dime, the people in the private sector are on their own. People taking Our money should be paying what they owe like they're supposed to, not abusing the tax system so they can employ whatever scheme they're employing.

If every one of these 36 people had some kind of exceptional circumstance that couldn't be planned for, was so over the top they couldn't make the payment(s) on time, then I'll be the first to say they were justified and did the right thing.

Given the corruption in government (and I'm not talking just outright illegal corruption, I'm talking about doing something legal but abusing the spirit of the system), what do you think the chances are that all 36 of these people are in that type of circumstance?

The obligation to pay taxes is the same no matter where the money comes from. It shouldn't matter in the slightest if someone is a public or private employee.

 

[chucky2]

From a collecting tax perspective, you're absolutely right. From a 'where does my money go' perspective, it's different. Our money goes to fund these people. These same people that spend it, and then ask for more of Our money. If these people are abusing the system they expect us to follow, that's a problem.

 

[dmcowen674]

36 Obama Aides Owe $833,000 In Back Taxes

Awesome, just following Bush's lead, he had a lot more. :thumbsup:

 

[bfdd]

Every "American Citizen" should suspend paying their federal income taxes. Just stop. This does not mean stop supporting your State and local governments, but stop your support of the Federal Government. They do not deserve our support, they do not care about us and all they want is more and more money. You might think "oh but they want to spend this on that" that's bullshit, stop buying into this non-sense that you need some extra special gigantic entity to take care of everything in your life and fucking do it for yourselves.

 

[fskimospy]

Every "American Citizen" should suspend paying their federal income taxes. Just stop. This does not mean stop supporting your State and local governments, but stop your support of the Federal Government. They do not deserve our support, they do not care about us and all they want is more and more money. You might think "oh but they want to spend this on that" that's bullshit, stop buying into this non-sense that you need some extra special gigantic entity to take care of everything in your life and fucking do it for yourselves.

That is a horrifyingly bad idea. The childish petulance on this board gets really old sometimes.

 

[shira]

But their payment was due by April 15th. Why are they not paying it? Are they taking advantage of the legal tax code to make money at the taxpayers expense (i.e. the country would be better off short or long term if they'd paid by 4/15)? If they're doing that, they shouldn't be.

If it's legal to get on an installment plan and thereby use the money you hold back to make a bigger profit, why shouldn't a person do this? How is this any different from taking advantage of any other tax loophole? If there's something wrong with doing this intentionally (and I don't know that we have any evidence that those referred to in the OP are using this loophole), then the law should be changed to make it illegal.

Also, since the IRS charges an interest rate much higher than any of us can get in a secure investment, the "taxpayers" you refer to are actually receiving more, not less, in the long run.

Sounds like win-win to me.