Great Quote heard on Rush Limbaugh!

I heard this myself on the radio yesterday, and saw a tweet from Katie Favazza @KatieFavazza that pointed me toward it. It has also made the e-mail rounds:

Obama’s health care plan will be written by a committee whose head, John Conyers, says he doesn’t understand it. It’ll be passed by Congress that has not read it, signed by a president who smokes, funded by a Treasury chief who didn’t pay his taxes, overseen by a Surgeon General who is obese, and financed by a country that’s nearly broke. What could possibly go wrong?

Quote of the Day

Just heard on Rush Limbaugh, as he was discussing the media and political pile-on surrounding the governor of Illinois:

"I believe that Rod Blagojevich is entitled to at least the same due process as the detainees at Guantanamo Bay."

The record should show that Gov. Blogojevich is innocent until proven guilty—no matter how easy it may be to prove. The media and many Illinois politicians are already treating the man is a criminal to be removed from office. Let him have his due process...quickly, of course.

Quote of the Day

This quote comes from Jeff Myers of Passing the Baton International (passingthebaton.org) in an e-mail I received today:

Just because God's people are confused about how to build His kingdom does not mean that God's enemies are confused about how to destroy it. The battle for the hearts and minds of the next generation is still raging, and it doesn't stop just because we've been lulled into complacency and distracted into irrelevance.

Truth still needs to be defended. Injustice must still be remedied. Evil must still be opposed.

Quote Of The Day

My lovely wife Jennifer pointed out this tidbit from Robinson Crusoe, by Daniel DeFoe (first page of the chapter, I Am Captured By Pirates). I think that although I am taking it out of its context, it is a highly accurate description of most people, including many Christians, today.

"...from whence I have since often observed how incongruous and irrational the common temper of mankind is, especially of youth, to that reason which ought to guide them in such cases, viz., that they are not ashamed to sin, and yet are ashamed to repent; nor ashamed of the action for which they ought justly to be esteemed fools, but are ashamed of the returning, which only can make them be esteemed wise men."

Obscure Music Quote of the Day

"Winning's a habit, not only a dream."

—From that classic 1970's hit, the Steelers Polka.

Just a reminder...football season is coming soon!

Still MORE Actual IRS Quotes!

There is a small minority of our population who have "devised" what we might call "arguments" that Americans do not actually have to pay taxes to the IRS.

This is, of course, not the case. The government and the IRS certainly do not see it this way.

The IRS has even published a document (it runs nearly 70 pages) that you can find here to "counter" such arguments and to discuss relevant case law, judicial results, and penalties. Towards the end of this document—which I was actually skimming today, between clients—in the discussion of penalties, is this witty quotation:

As the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals noted in United States v. Sloan, 939 F.2d 499, 499-500 (7th Cir. 1991), “Like moths to a flame, some people find themselves irresistibly drawn to the tax protester movement’s illusory claim that there is no legal requirement to pay federal income tax. And, like moths, these people sometimes get burned.” (pp. 59-60)

Other actual IRS quotes can be found here and here.

MORE Actual IRS Quotes!

Working at H&R Block once again makes me cross paths with these actual IRS quotes (find them yourself at www.irs.gov):

From Publication 17, which is almost a "bible" of sorts for tax preparers, there is a section on things which are "nondeductible expenses": These cannot be deducted on Schedule A. The list includes.... [from pp. 196-197]

"You cannot deduct fines or penalties you pay to a governmental unit for violating the law."

"You cannot deduct health spa expenses, even if there is a job requirement to stay in excellent physical condition, such as might be required of a law enforcement officer."

"You generally cannot deduct amounts paid or incurred for lobbying expenses. These include expenses to:

• Influence legislation,
• Participate or intervene in any political campaign for, or against, any candidate for public office,
• Attempt to influence the general public, or segments of the public, about elections, legislative matters, or referendums, or
• Communicate directly with covered executive branch officials in any attempt to influence the official actions or positions of those officials.

Lobbying expenses also include any amounts paid or incurred for research, preparation, planning, or coordination of any of these activities."

"You cannot deduct personal legal expenses such as those for the following: [At this point, a list of fairly common personal legal expenses is given. But it includes this curious one:]

• Breach of promise to marry suit."

"Professional Reputation. You cannot deduct expenses of radio and TV appearances to increase your personal prestige or establish your professional reputation."

"Wristwatches. You cannot deduct the cost of a wristwatch, even if there is a job requirement that you know the correct time to properly perform your duties."

Publication 535, Business Expenses [p. 42], has more to say about bribes and kickbacks:

"Bribes and kickbacks. Engaging in the payment of bribes or kickbacks is a serious criminal matter. Such activity could result in criminal prosecution. Any payments that appear to have
been made, either directly or indirectly, to an official or employee of any government or an agency or instrumentality of any government are not deductible for tax purposes and are in violation of the law.
"Payments paid directly or indirectly to a person in violation of any federal or state law (but only if that state law is generally enforced, defined below) that provides for a criminal penalty or for the loss of a license or privilege to engage in a trade or business are also not allowed as a deduction for tax purposes.
"Meaning of 'generally enforced:' A state law is considered generally enforced unless it is never enforced, or enforced only for infamous persons or persons whose violations are extraordinarily flagrant. For example, a state law is generally enforced unless proper reporting of a violation of the law results in enforcement only under unusual circumstances.
"Kickbacks. A kickback is a payment for referring a client, patient, or customer. The common kickback situation occurs when money or property is given to someone as payment for influencing a third party to purchase from, use the services of, or otherwise deal with the person who pays the kickback. In many cases, the person whose business is being sought or enjoyed by the person who pays the kickback is not aware of the payment."

So, No, you can't deduct these either. For my first post of Actual IRS Quotes, click here.

Actual IRS Quotes

One of the perks of working at H&R Block is that you get to become much more fully acquainted with the tax laws. In that vein, I was reading some IRS materials earlier this week. And these three quotations really 'stuck out' to me.

From Publication 525 (2007), Taxable and Nontaxable Income:

"Bribes. If you receive a bribe, include it in your income." (p. 28)

"Kickbacks. You must include kickbacks, side commissions, push money, or similar payments you receive in your income on Form 1040, line 21, or on Schedule C or C-EZ (Form 1040) if from your self-employment activity." (p. 31)

There are those who believe that paying federal taxes is "voluntary" or that they have some other "legal" method for avoiding the payment of taxes to the United States government. The IRS has prepared a document that responds to some of these contentions (you can find it here). Oddly enough, it contains this quote concerning those who would claim deductions and credits to which they are not entitled:

"It is a well-settled principle of law that deductions and credits are a matter of legislative grace." (p. 36)

There is an awful lot of profundity in that sentence...even if you are not familiar with taxes.

IRS forms and documents are found at www.irs.gov.

A Quotation for Today

I read this today. The quotation is reportedly from Born for Battle by R. Arthur Mathews. Although I can neither vouch for the book nor the author, this part is great:

"Jesus Christ doesn't coerce men to follow Him by pandering to the taste of natural man. He doesn't sugar-coat His opportunities and then dangle them in front of us to lure us on. All opportunities on His list have a fixed price: sacrifice. They are available to those who repudiate self's claims."