Jim Tomasik's Posts - Fair Tax Nation2024-03-29T02:27:08ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasikhttp://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/364976749?profile=RESIZE_48X48&width=48&height=48&crop=1%3A1http://www.fairtaxnation.com/profiles/blog/feed?user=0hhz2bcqdkxv8&xn_auth=noTest Blogtag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-11-02:2636007:BlogPost:873952009-11-02T18:37:51.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
is this thing on?
is this thing on?IRS defining insanity. Kill it with the FairTax.tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-06-30:2636007:BlogPost:659952009-06-30T16:09:49.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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I.R.S. CREATES TAXPAYER CONFUSION ON DUE DATES Form TD F 90-22.1 REPORT OF FOREIGN BANK AND FINANICAL ACCOUNTS (“FBAR”) This I.R.S. assumes taxpayers and tax advisors have a duty to search for complex revised FAQs hidden deep in their website and digest the information, advise our clients and take action within a week before a filing deadline…all under the threat of large penalties. In addition, clients misinterpret the rules – easy to do -- and now…
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403589807?profile=original" alt="" width="506" height="350"></p> I.R.S. CREATES TAXPAYER CONFUSION ON DUE DATES Form TD F 90-22.1 REPORT OF FOREIGN BANK AND FINANICAL ACCOUNTS (“FBAR”) This I.R.S. assumes taxpayers and tax advisors have a duty to search for complex revised FAQs hidden deep in their website and digest the information, advise our clients and take action within a week before a filing deadline…all under the threat of large penalties. In addition, clients misinterpret the rules – easy to do -- and now assume they get a no risk extension of time to file. Who can blame the taxpayer when they are faced with a complex form, instructions, I.R.S. guidance as 28 FAQs from the past, and additional FAQs that are part of a separate procedure for tax evaders with unreported offshore income! I am signed up for 5 different email alerts from the I.R.S. I received nothing on this issue until I saw it in the Wall Street Journal and went searching their website for FAQ #43 and #9 below. The I.R.S. forgets, in their Ivory Tower, that the rest of us have real lives to lead and can’t search the same issue over and over again just to make sure nothing has changed. What a way to run a tax system! UPDATE 6/27/09 – follow-up to original blog below (where you see my cartoon). PLEASE DO NOT ASSUME THAT, BELOW, AN EXTENSION OF THE DUE DATE IS ALLOWED FOR EVERYONE….as some of our clients have thought! I recommend you try to file on time (needs to be received) by June 30, 2009 if at all possible. 1) If you did not report and pay your tax on the income from the Foreign Bank Account, if required, you don’t qualify for the FBAR EXTENSION AFTER JUNE 30, 2009 to SEPTEMBER 23, 2009, at all. If your income tax return for 2008 is on valid extension, that counts as timely reporting and paying your tax for 2008, even though your return is not yet filed, as long as you ultimately file – hopefully by the income tax return extension due date – and report the income, and pay all the tax in a timely manner. 2) If you did report and pay tax on the income from the Foreign Bank Account, if required, you have to attach a statement to the FBAR Form providing some explanation why the form is late and send a copy to the IRS office in Philadelphia, PA. If you knew about the FBAR requirement prior to a recent June 12th rule change, but just couldn’t get the information together, that is NOT an excuse for which the extension is allowed. File absolutely as soon as possible to put yourself in a better position to negotiate any penalties that may be imposed. 3) If you truly “only recently learned of their FBAR filing obligation and have insufficient time to gather the necessary information to complete the FBAR” and reported all your income as required and paid all your tax, the FBAR extension will apply with no penalties if you file by September 23rd as instructed in #9, below. But I still urge you to file as soon as possible and not stretch it out to September 23rd. 4) If you filed a FBAR in 2008, it is illogical to say you didn’t know to file in 2009 by the June 30th due date for the same accounts. We assume the IRS will check their computer records to see if you knew to file in the prior year. Possible Penalty Trap!! 5) If you did not file FBARs for prior years and had a responsibility to file under old or new interpretations, we recommend you immediately follow #9, below, to file for the last 6 unfiled years. Otherwise, by filing now for 2008, it is clear you NOW know you need to file, and after September 23, 2009, you will have “willfully” (i.e., intentionally) not filed the prior year FBARs within the amnesty time-window provided to September 23rd, exposing you to the $10,000 Non-willful or $100,000 Willful penalties for non-filing!!!…and may need to someday talk your way out of those penalties, with a good attorney, if that is even possible. If you also did not report the income from those accounts and were required to, be very careful what you file and call a tax attorney to discuss the IRS Voluntary Disclosure program right away so that you can make all required filings absolutely as soon as possible in a way that minimizes your exposure to penalties. SEE: http://www.groco.com/readingroom/tax_unreported_offshore_income.aspx for important information on the Voluntary Disclosure program and please be advised, this is NOT a “do-it-yourself” project. Get some professional assistance to protect yourself. Original Blog: Foreign Bank Account Reporting is Due June 30, 2009 By Ron Cohen, CPA, MST Partner Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen & Co., LLP The I.R.S. has warned they will take this filing deadline more seriously than in the past and impose penalties on late or non-filers. PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY! Form TD F 90-22.1 (Report of foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, commonly known as an “FBAR”). Who Must File this Report. Each United States person who has a financial interest in or signature or other authority over any foreign financial accounts, including bank, securities, or other types of financial accounts, in a foreign country, if the aggregate value of these financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year, must report that relationship each calendar year by filing this report with the Department of the Treasury on or before June 30, of the succeeding year. FBAR Filings Must Be Received by June 30. Unlike the rule for tax forms, FBAR forms are deemed filed when received by the IRS, not when postmarked. (As a result, use of certified mail with return receipt requested is recommended.) No extension of time to file is granted. 1) Penalties for failure to comply with the Bank Security Act requirement that United States persons report their financial interest in, or authority over, financial accounts located in a foreign country. U.S. citizens, residents, and certain other persons, must annually report their financial interest in, or signature authority (or other authority that is comparable to signature authority) over, a financial account (such as a bank or investment account) that is maintained with a financial institution located in a foreign country if, for any calendar year, the aggregate value of all foreign accounts exceeded $10,000 at any time during the year. This reporting requirement is met by filing Form TD F 90-22.1 (Report of foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, commonly known as an “FBAR”). FBARs are filed with a Department of the Treasury facility located in Detroit and are not to be filed with tax returns; the filing date for FBARs is June 30th. The requirement to file FBARs is in the regulations under 31 U.S.C. § 5314 (which is a provision of the Bank Secrecy Act). Generally, the civil penalty for willfully failing to file an FBAR can be as high as the greater of $100,000 or 50 percent of the total balance of the foreign account. Criminal penalties may also apply. Refer to IRM 4.26.16.4 for additional FBAR penalty considerations. See: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f90221.pdf Hedge-Funds and Private Equity Funds have suddenly become aware they are subject to the FBAR rules. Please see: IRS Steps Up Scrutiny of Offshore Funds Current Legal Authority From the IRS: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/faqs-revised_6_24_checked_v2.pdf “43. Re: FAQ 9 A taxpayer recently learned that they have an FBAR filing obligation but they do not have sufficient time to gather the information necessary to properly file the FBAR by the June 30, 2009 due date. How should the taxpayer proceed? Taxpayers who reported and paid tax on all their 2008 taxable income but only recently learned of their FBAR filing obligation and have insufficient time to gather the necessary information to complete the FBAR, should file the delinquent FBAR report according to the instructions and attach a statement explaining why the report is filed late. Send a copy of the delinquent FBAR, together with a copy of the 2008 tax return, by September 23, 2009, to the Philadelphia Offshore Identification Unit at the address in FAQ 9. In this situation, the IRS will not impose a penalty for the failure to file the FBAR. Additionally, if all 2008 taxable income with respect to a foreign financial account is timely reported and a United States person only recently learned they have a 2008 FBAR obligation and there is insufficient time to gather the necessary information to complete the FBAR, the United States person may follow the procedures set forth above and no penalty will be imposed. For 2008 tax returns due after September 23, 2009, the tax return does not need to accompany the 2008 FBAR. http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-utl/faqs-revised_6_24_checked_v2.pdf 9. I have properly reported all my taxable income but I only recently learned that I should have been filing FBARs in prior years to report my personal foreign bank account or to report the fact that I have signature authority over bank accounts owned by my employer. May I come forward under the voluntary disclosure practice to correct this? The purpose for the voluntary disclosure practice is to provide a way for taxpayers who did not report taxable income in the past to voluntarily come forward and resolve their tax matters. Thus, If you reported and paid tax on all taxable income but did not file FBARs, do not use the voluntary disclosure process. For taxpayers who reported and paid tax on all their taxable income for prior years but did not file FBARs, you should file the delinquent FBAR reports according to the instructions and attach a statement explaining why the reports are filed late. Send copies of the delinquent FBARs, together with copies of tax returns for all relevant years, by September 23, 2009, to the Philadelphia Offshore Identification Unit at: Internal Revenue Service 11501 Roosevelt Blvd. South Bldg., Room 2002 Philadelphia, PA 19154 Attn: Charlie Judge, Offshore Unit, DP S-611 The IRS will not impose a penalty for the failure to file the FBARs. Prior FAQs for FBAR that is, in part, supersede by the above: http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/article/0,,id=148845,00.html 18. What happens if an account holder is required to file an FBAR and fails to do so? Failure to file an FBAR when required to do so may potentially result in civil penalties, criminal penalties, or both. If you learn you were required to file FBARs for earlier years, you should file the delinquent FBAR reports and attach a statement explaining why the reports are filed late. No penalty will be asserted if the IRS determines that the late filings were due to reasonable cause. Keep copies, for your record, of what you send.” Ron Cohen, CPA, MS (Tax) Partner GREENSTEIN, ROGOFF, OLSEN & CO., LLP 39159 Paseo Padre Parkway, Suite 315 Fremont, CA 94538 Tel: 510.797.8661 x237 Fax: 510.474.1423 Email: rcohen@groco.com Website: www.groco.comFairTax toolbar you can add to your broswer.tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-06-09:2636007:BlogPost:628622009-06-09T22:22:24.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403589097?profile=original" alt="" width="480" height="600"></p>Making Big Business Pay=Making Us Pay Moretag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-05-13:2636007:BlogPost:559172009-05-13T20:30:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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Making Big Business Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes by Ken Hoagland When you hear any politician indignantly demanding that corporations finally, “pay their fair share of taxes,” look to your own wallet. Corporations don’t have a secret cache of money to pay taxes nor do CEO’s take it from executive compensation. These taxes are always paid by workers, consumers and stockholders. The recent shocking, shocking revelation that American businesses are…
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403588519?profile=original" alt="" width="300" height="93"></p> Making Big Business Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes by Ken Hoagland When you hear any politician indignantly demanding that corporations finally, “pay their fair share of taxes,” look to your own wallet. Corporations don’t have a secret cache of money to pay taxes nor do CEO’s take it from executive compensation. These taxes are always paid by workers, consumers and stockholders. The recent shocking, shocking revelation that American businesses are sheltering their overseas profits far away from our second highest corporate tax rate in the world comes as a “surprise” to no one but those feigning surprise for political gain. Of course they keep their profits away from our corrupted tax code and the sweaty outreached hands of both Members of Congress and Washington tax lobbyists. In some parts of the world the bribe to gain government favor is both a common and illegal transaction. Here in the United States, it is has been codified and made not only legal but the basis of a thriving business inside Washington’s beltway. More than half of the two and half billion dollars spent annually on lobbying in Washington is spent in pursuit of “favors” in the income tax code. Hey, it’s the cost of doing business in the USA. With a wink and a nod “contributions” are made to political campaigns and even to hometown foundations and causes that Members of Congress favor or in which they have an interest. Lucrative fees are paid to the richest and most powerful lobbyists in Washington, tax lobbyists, to broker sweetheart deals for businesses and individuals. These lobbyists commonly come from Capital Hill after staff or elected careers that provide them currency with and access to tax writing committees. The hallway outside the House Ways and Means Committee is even called, “Gucci Gulch” in deference to the shoes these lobbyists wear that cost more than most American’s monthly house payment. “Closing business loopholes” really means that some past favors are being rescinded and a new feeding frenzy of lobby activity for new favors is about to begin. It’s all part of the corrupted tax code that makes Members of Congress from both parties very powerful, lobbyists very wealthy and which does real damage to the American economy. Unfortunately, this is one activity that sees true bi-partisan cooperation among the power elite in Washington. Closing loopholes also means that workers will continue to see wages and benefits depressed and that consumers are about to pay higher prices for goods and services--because that is how business pays business taxes. Teacher retirement funds and other investors can take cold comfort, as well, that returns will be lower or dividends trimmed, so that business can “pay its fair share”. Pitting Americans against each other to achieve “fairness” in the corrupted tax code has been raised to a fine art in Washington. Taken together with the lucrative industry that has grown up around the tax writing committees, it is little wonder that Washington so vehemently resists the FairTax. The fact that the corporate tax and all the current complicated and unevenly applied taxes on earnings could be replaced with a no-exception consumption tax simply does not compute to most in Congress. Elimination of corporate taxes under the FairTax is predicted to bring, not just American business profits, but $10-15 trillion of investment back to our shores. That means very little to those who profit so mightily from the income tax system. Elimination of $300 billion a year in tax preparation costs as individual returns become history? Not worth it, according to many in Congress. How about making the cost of the federal government visible instead of hiding taxes through payroll withholding? Unthinkable to those who spend our dollars freely (and our children’s future earnings) to win our votes today. But outside Washington, the FairTax grassroots movement continues to grow. Advocates know all about the self-interested resistance that exists on Capitol Hill. They still come to rallies, they still form local chapters, they still blog and post and they still sign petitions. Why? They still believe that American citizens have not only the right but the power to create public policy that actually benefits the public. Unthinkable.The Ball Is In Our Court Now.tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-03-18:2636007:BlogPost:347942009-03-18T12:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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Congressman King told me that this “…thing is a two way street. …there is more political capital in the grass roots than there is in Washington. DC.” After his efforts on the floor of congress, with the aid of the other brave co-sponsors, no one should complain that our co-sponsoring congressmen have not stepped up to the plate. They have offered FairTax as an alternative to the present course our government is forcing on us. FairTax is the single…
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403589734?profile=original" alt="" width="507" height="294"></p> Congressman King told me that this “…thing is a two way street. …there is more political capital in the grass roots than there is in Washington. DC.” After his efforts on the floor of congress, with the aid of the other brave co-sponsors, no one should complain that our co-sponsoring congressmen have not stepped up to the plate. They have offered FairTax as an alternative to the present course our government is forcing on us. FairTax is the single most effective means of correcting this failing course. We have in our hands a way to save our nation for the sake of future generations of Americans. If capitalism is to win over socialism, FairTax must defeat the income tax code including the flat tax and the vat tax. It is up to us as grassroots activists to move this thing forward. I suggest we become organized to build FairTax Nation to be a loud voice that tells Washington DC that we have a plan for prosperity and it is time they listen to us. Here is my plan: Every state will must find and a FairTax Nation State Administrator (SA). The SA will be responsible for building a series of events to promote FairTax.org and FairTaxNation.com. The goal is to have at least one event in every state every weekend. Develop a professional looking booth that promotes FairTax Nation. Each state needs a complete set of booth signage. We are working on the design now. The goal of the booths is to do two things: First, bring people into knowledge of the FairTax act. Second, sign up and encourage them to get involved. On the FairTax Nation site, I am encouraged to see the efforts to organize a group of people who will defend FairTax vigorously in comments in the comment sections of blogs and articles in cyberspace. Our Congressmen have stepped up and now it is your turn. Jim TomasikRep. Steve King Stands up For The American Dream and Offers FairTax as a Solution to Today's Economic Meltdown.tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-03-16:2636007:BlogPost:336842009-03-16T23:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
<b>It starts now with Rep Cliff Stearns of Florida talking about FairTax!</b> GO FAIRTAX GO! CSPAN link: http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN_wm.aspx<br />
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Our current economic crisis will not be solved through tax increases or massive government spending. In these tough times, we need an innovative solution on Capitol Hill: the FairTax. The FairTax is the best and most effective way to encourage business growth and positive, long-term economic performance.…
<b>It starts now with Rep Cliff Stearns of Florida talking about FairTax!</b> GO FAIRTAX GO! CSPAN link: http://www.cspan.org/Watch/C-SPAN_wm.aspx <br />
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403589612?profile=original" alt="" width="373" height="492"></p> Our current economic crisis will not be solved through tax increases or massive government spending. In these tough times, we need an innovative solution on Capitol Hill: the FairTax. The FairTax is the best and most effective way to encourage business growth and positive, long-term economic performance. Enacting the FairTax would usher in a new period of American economic growth, create new jobs across the country and give American citizens more control over their own paychecks. On Tuesday, March 17, several of my House colleagues and I will spend an hour on the House floor discussing the merits of the FairTax and sharing its positive message with CSPAN viewers. Our goal is to educate and inform more Americans about the FairTax and how it can help American workers and businesses. Millions of Americans have either never heard of the FairTax or do not know enough about it, but as more people hear about the FairTax, support grows. My hope is that this hour and similar opportunities in the future will add to the groundswell of national FairTax support. I spent 28 years running my own construction business, and I remember thinking that if I was ever in a position to help dismantle the IRS, I would do everything I could to make that happen. Right now we need the FairTax not only because our federal tax system is broken beyond repair, but because it will help unemployed Americans find new jobs and help families pay their bills. Now is the time to position the FairTax in the center of the ongoing economic debate in Congress, the White House and throughout America. Rep. Steve KingUPDATE: 1:15 3/16/09 Congressman Steve King is going to host a 'Special Order' hour on the FairTax Tuesday night, March 17. More details and an estimated start time to follow as information becomes avtag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-03-11:2636007:BlogPost:322252009-03-11T23:30:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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Please tell us how you are helping to spread the word. It is important that FairTax supporters tune in and support this effort by Iowa's US Congressional Representative, Steve King. Contact your own representative and ask them to be part of this discussion even if they are in opposition to the FairTax. <b>UPDATE from Rep. King's Press Sec. Matt Lahr:</b> Right now we anticipate the Special Order taking place around 6 p.m. tomorrow night. Obviously,…
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403589184?profile=original" alt="" width="501" height="314"></p> Please tell us how you are helping to spread the word. It is important that FairTax supporters tune in and support this effort by Iowa's US Congressional Representative, Steve King. Contact your own representative and ask them to be part of this discussion even if they are in opposition to the FairTax.
<b>UPDATE from Rep. King's Press Sec. Matt Lahr:</b> Right now we anticipate the Special Order taking place around 6 p.m. tomorrow night. Obviously, that could change, but that is the tentative time we are being told. The Special Order will be aired on CSPAN. Congressman King is working to have several other members join him on the floor tomorrow night. House leadership has asked Congressman King to mention President Obama’s plans for tax increases, so the Congressman and other members will be contrasting these planned tax hikes with the FairTax and all it can do to stimulate our economy. I will send around a brief statement from the Congressman on the Special Order later today that you can post online if you would like. Let me know if you have any questions.Over the hump!tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-03-10:2636007:BlogPost:317752009-03-10T23:51:53.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403588977?profile=original" alt="" width="493" height="116"></p>Congressman Steve King (IA) Talks With FairTax Nation, Part IItag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-03-10:2636007:BlogPost:314422009-03-10T02:30:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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Congressman King presents an American flag to Dwight Hauff from Sioux City, America’s Oldest Worker. Hauff, 100, has been a staple in Sioux City business since 1933. <i>The following continues with more of the conversation that took place last Friday morning between Congressman Steve King and myself. We got into some of the stuff that FairTax supporters need to realize but may not know about the two way street between our FairTax co-sponsors and our…</i>
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403588869?profile=original" alt="" width="400" height="300"></p> Congressman King presents an American flag to Dwight Hauff from Sioux City, America’s Oldest Worker. Hauff, 100, has been a staple in Sioux City business since 1933.
<i>The following continues with more of the conversation that took place last Friday morning between Congressman Steve King and myself. We got into some of the stuff that FairTax supporters need to realize but may not know about the two way street between our FairTax co-sponsors and our grassroots efforts.</i> <br />
<b>FairTaxNation:</b> (Speaking first) We've spent years debating back and forth and I've listened to the same arguments being said two weeks ago that was being argued 2 years ago. It seems that we have to keep going over these same arguments over and over again because these people are just wasting our time with it. If the other side, and I'm not blaming the Democrats or the Republicans here, but if the people who are opposed to FairTax decided that they suddenly wanted to have a VAT tax, they would just jump on CNN and start selling it... A guest on CNN said last Sunday that the US would have to impose a VAT tax because the current tax code was sure to fail very soon. [The host] quickly agreed and thanked the guest for telling us what we will be looking at very soon. We had eight to ten thousand people at the republican [debate] in Columbia SC last year. CNN basically went out of their way to ignore us. The question I want to put to you is this: Since you have been very vocal for FairTax, what do the FairTax supporters like me need to do to help you get this thing moving along? I just don't think writing letters to our congressmen is going to get it. <br />
<b>Congressman Steve King of Iowa:</b> We have people come into this Congress that understand that the FairTax is a good idea and then they are pummelled by their political opposition who spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to accuse them of wanting to raise the tax on a loaf of bread by 30%. Then [the FairTax supporting candidate] has to go out and raise enough money to offset that. Some are beaten, not that many, some curl up in a political fetal position and just slide away from it. That's what's been happening so when you have people who are solid FairTaxers and they get pounded, and they win anyway, then they slide away from it. Now I'm not speaking of anything that Pete Sessions has said, I just watched what happened down there a couple of election cycles ago. Pete got pounded for his support of the FairTax and he won the election. And Pete is a great guy, a fighter, and smart and all of that but he has not been very vocal about the FairTax since then and I'm not sure if he is a co-sponsor of the bill anymore, I've not looked. So, umm, thats part of it. So if the opponents are wounding members who are FairTax supporters, then there has got to be strong support on the part of FairTax to defend them. Now let's just say Pete Sessions's race, and then again, this is not anything that Pete has said to me, its just what I've seen from the outside, let's just say that when Martin Frost brought that attack on him, Lets say that FairTax had enough resources to come in and run independent ads beating up on Martin Frost by advocating for the FairTax. They could prep the landing zone, so to speak. If that were to happen and you were able to convince people by informing them before they could be mis-informed by those little bumper sticker phrases about raising the tax on a loaf of bread by 30% Those kinds of things would help. What I'm saying is "It does take money." Money is the mother's milk of politics. Now, I'm solid and I haven't asked for anything of FairTax. You know, I believe in it... I'm never going to change and I'm eager for the debate. Let somebody come and run against me on the FairTax and I'll drag them out in the open and make them defend the IRS. In fact, I did that when I first ran for Congress. I ran against a CPA who was very proud of his, I'll say, financial [status]. I dragged him out into the open and just pounded him mercilessly to the point where he would not even talk about taxes anymore in the last three weeks of the election. Then we went and took a debate that we did and played it on cable TV in his home town for two weeks solid. It ran several times a day. So, I'm not your typical person when it comes to that. [FairTax supporting candidates] have to know the issue well enough to want to fight! They have to realize that they can gain from that debate politically. The vulnerability has come because there has been money that has run against them and it has not been matched up on the other side. Putting the information out...running a website...getting as many interviews as possible... getting as many op eds as possible... Getting as many high profile people as possible who will advocate for the FairTax. We have Huckabee and we have Sean Hannity who are both very strong FairTax supporters. As much as that can come on so that people can get confidence, that it is a good solid idea and that it is the salvation of this economy. That is all good. You have to build enough grassroots out there so that you can have a PAC that will defend these members that are attacked. If not, they are going to curl up in that political fetal position. <br />
<b>FairTaxNation:</b> Ok, That's some great information! That is some of the things we have been looking at doing. FairTax Nation is just a little bit different than FairTax.org, I mean AFFT, in that...well we think that FairTax.org has the greatest plan in the FairTax and all the [research] that they have right there. Ken Hoagland is the Communications Coordinator for AFFT. He was telling some of us that there were 175,000 people who submitted their names to FairTax.org just in the past fifteen months. That's just phenomenal in my opinion. But what's also my opinion is that we need to have these people out in the public eye. If we had 175,000 people screaming, yelling, and organized to do something we could press Congress to do something. Press CNN.. Press Fox News to be serious about it. I think we can do more. What do you think about that? <br />
<b>King:</b> It's hard to press CNN on that and Fox will emerge a little bit. You have got to have a hook to get the news. You [AFFT] rallied all those people in South Carolina... How many did you say, Jim? <br />
<b>FairTaxNation:</b> Somewhere between eight and ten thousand people. They surrounded the entire building but a handful of war protesters received all the coverage. If you looked back behind the war protestors, you could see this, I don't know... this huge stream of FairTaxers walking around the building. They did not get covered but a hand full of war protesters getting all this coverage at a republican [presidential debate]. <br />
<b>King:</b> Now I remember that happening and I remember seeing the FairTax film of that so it is kind of in my mind. Lots of people wearing those white tee shirts with FairTax on it. And that was all good. You said you've got 175,000 people signed up on FairTax.org? Ummmm... <br />
<b>FairTaxNation:</b> That's just in the past 15 months or so. There's... <br />
<b>King</b> How many on the database all together? Do you know? <br />
<b>FairTaxNation:</b> Well, I don't know for sure, but over the past 10 years or so I understand that the people have added up to over a million who have left their names with FairTax.org. In my mind, I feel like many of them think they are by themselves where FairTax Nation hopes to get them fired up in a community type effort. For example, the lady in Washington State named Jamie Wheeler kind of feels like she is out there all by herself but she is plugging away for it. Here she sees her efforts as part of a nation wide effort and her ideas are being talked about and discussed on the site. I mean people all over are able to get involved and see their efforts move the thing forward. We are only two months old and without any real advertising or anything, we have a couple thousand members already. Many, not all, of the FairTax activists are already starting to join the site. This is where we are really hoping that we can work hand in hand with FairTax.org and really get the grass roots moving. <br />
<b>King:</b> I'm just thinking about how you energize and you get people to do the buy in.... @ 26:00 min <br />
<b>(to be continued).</b>Congressman Steve King (IA) Talks to FairTaxNation , Part Itag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-03-08:2636007:BlogPost:308992009-03-08T15:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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<b>FairTaxNation Has a Conversation with Iowa's FairTax Cosponsoring Representative Steve King. 3/06/09 7;30 AM</b> FairTaxNation: Rep King, We are very pleased that you have been as outspoken as you have been concerning FairTax. There's been a lot of grumbling among FairTax supporters who have been pushing this a long time. This is partly due to the fact that we don't see a lot of leaders standing up and saying "You know, FairTax would work a whole…
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<b>FairTaxNation Has a Conversation with Iowa's FairTax Cosponsoring Representative Steve King. 3/06/09 7;30 AM</b> FairTaxNation: Rep King, We are very pleased that you have been as outspoken as you have been concerning FairTax. There's been a lot of grumbling among FairTax supporters who have been pushing this a long time. This is partly due to the fact that we don't see a lot of leaders standing up and saying "You know, FairTax would work a whole lot better than a stimulus that we basically have being pushed on us through a very liberal minded agenda. They are using this tax code to tell us how to run our lives. The FairTax is such a great way to bring money flowing back into the country. I would like to get your thoughts on that as one of the points I want you to cover with me.. Representative King: OK, again some of this will be what you heard last night of course.{on CSPAN}. I'm happy to talk about it. I just think that the most important thing to know about the FairTax is this point: And I go back to this consistently, and that is that Ronald Reagan once said and I agree, I think that it is ir-refutable that what you tax you get less of. If you put 100% tax on anything then you would end up with no production and whereever your 100% tax is, if the government were to consficate all of your wages, no one is going to show up to work the next day. And so, where is the perfect tax? It is somewhere between 0 and 100 % and the question is, "How are you going to collect it?". So, there is two components. There is the production side and there's the consumption side. What the FairTax does is it takes all of the tax off of all the production that the federal government taxes in America. And there is not any question that we would get a lot more production. Production, I define as earnings, savings, and investment. So we tax the tax off of all our earnings, savings and investment and we end up with a lot more earnings, savings, and investment because we are punishing that now by taxing it the minute it apears. And I mean <br />
<u><i>the minute</i>,</u> so that changes the dynamic and unleashes American workers and it tells people; "Why not work those extra overtime hours because you will have more money in your pocket without taking anything out of your paycheck". It also says to someone who has a small manufacturing plant, or a large one, "Go ahead and hire on some more employees because you will not be punished for that. You will be able to take the income of that and reinvest it without penalty. When the dynamics change and puts it over on consumption, that then lets the individual pay taxes when they choose. Not only that but it gives them an insentive for saving as well. This nation is low on savings, as we know. That is one big piece. The other big piece is one that no one ever talks about, and I wish they would, is that you can take any one of our polititions and philosophers who has talked about what happens when over half the people figure out that they can vote themselves funds from the public treasury. Generally, you will hear that our constitutional republic will cease to exist. And I believe that! I think that the number is over 50% today and President Obama is racing us in that direction where over half the people will not have a federal income tax liability. They will pay taxes but they will not know it. They will be paying embedded taxes in the things they buy and there will be taxes on their payroll in payroll, Social Security, and medicade but they will not realize that. So, when they will try to vote themselves benefits from the public treasury the government grows. President Obama can take that message to the American people and they can buy it hook, line, and sinker. So this [is an] important point that seems to be lost on most advocates of the FairTax is that <br />
<i>the FairTax makes a tax payer out of everybody</i>. And we will be reminded everytime we make a transaction and we pay that federal income tax of how expensive or federal government is. So when you think about how this works, in the end, decisions are made here in Washington DC and in our state capitals around the country by people who are reflections of the culture. That is why people like Antonio Gramsci and Sol Alinski decided they were going to be community organizers, tear down our civilization and our culture, take away our values, and then they can take over the country in the fashion that they are doing now. I want to raise generations of conservatives and this is an example {candy store}... {SNIP] FairTaxNation: ...We have this trillion dollars that we have our government willing to take from our children to fix our {economy] now in comparison to allowing the FairTax that would allow the 13 trillion dollars to come back in from over seas, Why would anyone want to invest in our country with [the highest or second highest corporate tax rate in the world]? You were a contractor, a construction contactor, so you understand corporate tax rates and so on like this. Can you expound on what will happen if we totally remove the coporate tax rate by implementing the FairTax...[snip] ... instead of having the government creating jobs so that people can work for the government.? Representative King: There are two components to this question. One of them is capitol gains tax and the other is corporate income tax. There is, as reported as of last September, maybe the value of these assets may have diminished some but as of last September, there are about 13 trillion dollars in US capitol that has been stranded overseas and its faced with a 34 % or 35 %, much of it tax penalty on either capital gains or corporate income tax as is other assets in the United States. That 13 trillion dollars could come back into this economy and I don't think it would be 13 trillion becouse some of it is invested pretty deep and their commitments but it migrated out in that direction and it would migrate back here. I think it could be one to three trillion dollars that would [flow back] almost immediately into the US economy if we stop punishing our corporations and punishing the capitol gains. I would remind the readers and the listeners here that corporations do not pay taxes. Business do not pay taxes. It is people who pay taxes. Business and corporations have to take the cost of taxes into the price of the products that they are selling and get that from the end user. So, what they are is an agragator of funds. It is easier to ask them to pay the tax than it is to have the individuals pay the tax. From an administrative stand point, they are tax collectors for the federal government and for the state governments but they are not taxpayers. That tax is transferred onto the consumers. FairTaxNation; The other thing that you mentioned last night that caught my attention was, what did you call it? Quasi-sovereign... you called it quasi-sovereign contracting or what was it? What was that you were talking about? Representative King: Ok what I was talking about [lost audio] well, I can't go collect on a debt. [from those under contractual agreement because they are also the arbitrator.] <br />
<b>To be continued.</b>tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-02-05:2636007:BlogPost:150152009-02-05T15:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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<a href="http://fairtaxnation.ning.com"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/154337314?profile=RESIZE_180x180" width="139" height="62"></a>HOUSTON CHRONICLE: Tax mistakes prove code needs radical makeover, By Ken Houglandtag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-02-04:2636007:BlogPost:142952009-02-04T17:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
Tax mistakes prove code needs radical makeover By KEN HOAGLAND<br />
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle<br />
Feb. 3, 2009, 11:54PM<br />
<br />
If we take the former Health and Human Services nominee, the secretary of the Treasury and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee at face value, federal taxes owed but not paid by each are really an indictment of the income tax system itself.<br />
<br />
Given the complexity of the tax code, their explanations are not entirely without the ring of truth.<br />
<br />
But when the chairman…
Tax mistakes prove code needs radical makeover By KEN HOAGLAND<br />
Copyright 2009 Houston Chronicle<br />
Feb. 3, 2009, 11:54PM<br />
<br />
If we take the former Health and Human Services nominee, the secretary of the Treasury and the chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee at face value, federal taxes owed but not paid by each are really an indictment of the income tax system itself.<br />
<br />
Given the complexity of the tax code, their explanations are not entirely without the ring of truth.<br />
<br />
But when the chairman of the congressional committee that writes federal tax laws, the man responsible for running the IRS as the secretary of the Treasury and the nominee to head the agency responsible for Social Security and Medicare say they failed to pay owed taxes because they misunderstood our tax laws, where does that leave the rest of us?<br />
<br />
House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and former Sen. Tom Daschle have officially joined the ranks of millions of Americans who are befuddled at the almost indecipherable 67,500 pages of tax rules that accompany the U.S. income tax system.<br />
<br />
The tax code is so complex that Americans will pay an astounding $300 billion this year in tax preparation costs alone. The amount we spend just to obey — or game — our tax laws is about $150 billion more than the entire cost of the taxpayer stimulus checks mailed out last year.<br />
<br />
Our tax system has become an expensive and confusing collection of thousands of political favors, ambiguous rules that invite all manner of tax avoidance strategies and ham-handed congressional attempts to manipulate citizen behavior.<br />
<br />
Under the income tax code, debt is more favorable than wealth, married people pay more than singles and business decisions are commonly made on the basis of tax consequences instead of sound practices and growth.<br />
<br />
The alternative minimum tax, once designed to squeeze taxes from a few hundred very wealthy people who figured out how to legally underpay millions of dollars, now threatens to add more than $2,000 a year to the tax bills of 20 million middle-class Americans because of an error in the way the law was originally written and because the government now counts on that revenue.<br />
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Even the IRS cannot guarantee that the advice it gives confused taxpayers is sound.<br />
<br />
Worse, the income tax system gives foreign producers a price advantage over domestic producers in U.S. markets, the payroll tax that tripped up Secretary Geithner is highly regressive and most of what we pay the government either in taxes “embedded” in the price of goods and services or withheld from paychecks is hidden from plain sight.<br />
<br />
Supporters of the FairTax believe there is a better way. The FairTax proposal is a comprehensive plan to replace federal income and other taxes with a progressive national retail sales tax, with a rebate to ensure that no American pays such federal taxes up to the poverty level.<br />
<br />
Based on $22 million of peer-reviewed research, FairTax supporters believe that eliminating income tax withholding and payroll taxes could allow millions of distressed homeowners the ability to satisfy mortgage obligations.<br />
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They like the idea of the universal monthly “prebate,” which would entirely reimburse taxes paid by the poor and help the middle class make ends meet.<br />
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The potential to restart investment by eliminating both the corporate tax and capital gains taxes is compelling.<br />
<br />
And a simple, transparent tax that is paid without exception by every consumer, including the poorest workers on one end of the spectrum and billionaires on the other, is far fairer than a system that invites manipulation by “insiders” who can afford a tax lawyer, tax lobbyists or a special relationship with a member of Congress.<br />
<br />
Our convoluted and expensive federal tax system invites both deliberate cheating and innocent mistakes and has now snagged three top national leaders.<br />
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Worse, no economic recovery effort can be fully effective as long as we continue to tax what goes into the economy instead of what comes out of the economy.<br />
<br />
As the nation’s economy teeters, it is past time for this public policy to change to actually favor the public and our nation’s economic health.<br />
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<b>Hoagland is the national communications director of Houston-based Fairtax.org.</b>HR 25 In The New Congress, By Aaron Schutte:tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-01-18:2636007:BlogPost:69152009-01-18T16:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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FairTax leaders, As you know The FairTax Act of 2009 was introduced to Congress again as HR 25. Our thanks to Congressman Linder’s office for that and we’re still waiting to see what the Senate bill will be. It was very encouraging to see a record number of original co-sponsors and others sign on even since then. Some emails have already gone out about the sunset language at the end of the new bill (Section 401) and we expect that portion to ease some…
<p style="text-align: left;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/403585535?profile=original" alt="" width="273" height="105"></p> FairTax leaders, As you know The FairTax Act of 2009 was introduced to Congress again as HR 25. Our thanks to Congressman Linder’s office for that and we’re still waiting to see what the Senate bill will be. It was very encouraging to see a record number of original co-sponsors and others sign on even since then. Some emails have already gone out about the sunset language at the end of the new bill (Section 401) and we expect that portion to ease some legitimate concern and erase a political smokescreen as well. This is the time of year we usually gear back up to tell the politicians it’s in their vital interests to add their name to the bill. We have some trifolds, tshirts, hats and lots of bumper stickers and magnetic signs to help your groups educate folks. Other than the website, we think the trifolds (or printout sheets based on that format) are still the best option to sign new people up as they tend to write neater, include more email addresses and local people can get a better sense of their level of support. If local groups can data enter the information onto the template spreadsheets that just makes our job here easier and costs less. The website homepage has some new features like the Meet the FairTax Network (http://www.fairtax. org/grassroots_ volunteer), a chart comparing the Obama tax plan to the FairTax (http://www.fairtax. org/obama_ talkingpoints) and even a way to send a message through our site right into www.change.gov. (www.fairtax. org/obama) Also, if you blog much there are quite a few more widgets and banners to display at http://www.fairtax. org/downloads_ widgets. In a year that will see a huge economic focus, we have the best answers for this crisis and look forward to building on past year’s progress in 2009. Thanks so much for all your work and dedication! Aaron Schutte Grassroots Special Projects Coordinator 800-FairTax (324-7829)All FairTaxers are encouraged to Watch This I.O.U.S.A. Broadcast!tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-01-09:2636007:BlogPost:22752009-01-09T15:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
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<b>CNN to Broadcast I.O.U.S.A.</b> The public has spoken, and we've listened. In response to demand for information about our country's financial challenges, CNN/U.S. will air the broadcast premiere of the acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A. on on Saturday, January 10 at 2:00 p.m. EST and on Sunday, January 11 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Accompanying the documentary will be an unscripted panel discussion with policy leaders about various economic solutions…
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<b>CNN to Broadcast I.O.U.S.A.</b> The public has spoken, and we've listened. In response to demand for information about our country's financial challenges, CNN/U.S. will air the broadcast premiere of the acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A. on on Saturday, January 10 at 2:00 p.m. EST and on Sunday, January 11 at 3:00 p.m. EST. Accompanying the documentary will be an unscripted panel discussion with policy leaders about various economic solutions currently under consideration. This exclusive televised event will air only on CNN, and will be hosted by Ali Velshi and Christine Romans, co-anchors of CNN's Your $$$$$, the network's weekend business roundtable program. Throughout I.O.U.S.A.'s broadcast premiere, Velshi and Romans will engage a distinguished group of panelists, including Pete Peterson, Chairman of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and former U.S. Commerce Secretary; Dave Walker, President and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation and former U.S. Comptroller General; Alice Rivlin, noted economist and former Director of the Office of Management and Budget; and Bill Bradley, a Managing Director of Allen & Company and former U.S. Senator and Democratic presidential candidate, in discussions about issues raised in the film and their ties to current economic events. Learn more about the film at www.IOUSAtheMovie.com. And be sure to spread the word about the U.S. broadcast premiere!What FairTax Nation is All About: All Please Read.tag:www.fairtaxnation.com,2009-01-01:2636007:BlogPost:4922009-01-01T16:00:00.000ZJim Tomasikhttp://www.fairtaxnation.com/profile/JimTomasik
<b>FairTax Nation hits the ground running in 2009.</b><br />
<br />
First off, you may wondering "What is FairTaxNation.ning.com" ? FairTax Nation is a brand new weapon in our arsenal for FairTax grass roots to use. I believe it will prove to be the biggest tool we have to promote the FairTax Act in 2009.<br />
<br />
As a continuously growing On Line Petition and organizational tool, we can coordinate FairTax promoting events across the state or across the entire country including Washington DC. Voters will join…
<b>FairTax Nation hits the ground running in 2009.</b><br />
<br />
First off, you may wondering "What is FairTaxNation.ning.com" ? FairTax Nation is a brand new weapon in our arsenal for FairTax grass roots to use. I believe it will prove to be the biggest tool we have to promote the FairTax Act in 2009.<br />
<br />
As a continuously growing On Line Petition and organizational tool, we can coordinate FairTax promoting events across the state or across the entire country including Washington DC. Voters will join together in a united front supporting this landmark tax reform initiative merely by joining the site. We will be able to produce a list of names of supporters in any congressional district for the purpose of proving to a member of Congress that there is substantial support for the FairTax.<br />
<br />
Even if someone is not into the whole 'on line social group thing', it is still important that they sign up at FairTax Nation to become part of the petition. They will be on record as another voter who supports the FairTax! We encourage every single voter to add his or her name to the list and not be just another silent supporter. We have been quite long enough. Lets make some noise in 2009!<br />
<br />
What is FairTaxNation.ning.com not intended for? It is not intended to be a site to go to if you want to debate the worthiness of the FairTax Act. There are thousands of other sites who would be happy to debate with you if that is what you are looking to do. We are, to be pure and simple, a community of people who have decided that FairTax needs to be the law of the land. We will become energized, organized and mobile. We do not want to become bogged down with rehashing the same arguments over and over again. Anyone wishing to learn more about FairTax is encouraged to visit FairTax.org for more information.<br />
<br />
Some reporter called the FairTax movement 'stagnant' the other day. That got some of us upset. The truth of the matter is this: The guy is wrong but we have no way to prove it!<br />
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Can you point to any place and say "See, we have any certain number of supporters!" ?<br />
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Did you know that there are already over a million people who have signed paper ballots in support of the FairTax? Those paper ballots aren't doing us much good because we don't live in the 'paper age'. We are living in an ever advancing cyber age. This is why an on-line petition is more practical. We will be able to prove our numbers to all of America much easier with a site that has a million members promoting the FairTax.<br />
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We will work to get those millions of supporters signed up on FairTax Nation by using every tool we have. We will funnel all supporters to the site and encourage them to join. If they do not wish to participate actively, they will at least let there support for FairTax be known.<br />
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I encourage state leaders to begin setting up registration booths at every possible event. We are currently working on FairTax Nation's On Line Petition sign up sheet. We can use this tool at the booths to help people register to the site.<br />
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If you have any comments or thoughts, we would be glad to hear them.<br />
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JimTomasik