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62 votes
Accepted

Why doesn't everyone in UK just pay with exempted gifts?

In short, because the government is not required to honor your characterization of the transaction. A gift is something given without receiving anything in exchange. In almost all taxable contexts ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 186k
50 votes
Accepted

How does the mandate to report income from illegal activities in the US jibe with the Fifth Amendment?

The original 1913 Revenue Act only required the reporting of income from "lawful" sources. In the 1921 Revenue Act the word, "lawful" was removed requiring all income to be reported. [IRS Publication ...
Dave D's user avatar
  • 5,555
47 votes
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If you are a lawyer of a thief, drug dealer, or human trafficker, what would you tell your client to tell IRS?

NAL, but I used to work for the IRS. GS-0592-08, AUSC W/I CSCI (for non-feds, that means General Sector, series 0592 grade 8, Tax Examiner, Austin Service Center, Division -> Wage & Investment, ...
OpenSorceress's user avatar
45 votes

Is it illegal to have a product delivered to a different ZIP code to pay less sales tax?

You need to pay tax on it. From CA FAQ on use tax. - Generally, if sales tax would apply when you buy physical merchandise in California, use tax applies when you make a similar purchase without tax ...
George White's user avatar
  • 11.6k
44 votes

What happens to Donald Trump if he refuses to turn over his financial records?

According to this Washington Post story: Vance is seeking the records from Trump’s longtime accounting firm, Mazars. Thus Trump himself will not be able to refuse to provide the tax return ...
David Siegel's user avatar
34 votes
Accepted

Can one avoid paying US income tax by being paid in Bitcoin?

No. You have to pay taxes no matter what currency you are paid in, or for that matter, in most barter transaction as well. You would have to pay taxes even if you were paid in goats. Also, the ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 186k
33 votes
Accepted

Can you avoid capital gains tax by taking out a loan and not repaying debt?

Yes, you can borrow tax-free Bitcoin (or really, any currency not your home currency) is a security like a stock or bond. Whenever you take a loan using a security as collateral, that is not a taxable ...
Harper - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
28 votes

What happens to Donald Trump if he refuses to turn over his financial records?

The recent SCOTUS ruling on the ability of the Manhattan DA's office to enforce their subpoena applies to the accounting firm Mazars (who has copies of the tax returns and acts as Trump's agent in ...
BlueDogRanch's user avatar
  • 18.7k
28 votes

London council not responding to calls for nuisance

You can take action against the shop directly under the tort of nuisance. The available remedies are damages to compensate for interference with your property rights, and injunction to require the ...
JBentley's user avatar
  • 6,315
26 votes

What is the maximum number of countries in which one can simultaneously be tax resident?

Sample answer: Be a US citizen - automatic US tax residency Own a UK property and live there for 91 days to gain UK tax residency Spend 60 days in India plus a total of 365 days over the previous 4 ...
user3490's user avatar
  • 391
26 votes
Accepted

Is there a good reason for the IRS to seize ATF 4473 Forms?

There are several federal excise taxes on firearms. The main ones are (dispensing with the fine definitional details and Internal Revenue Code citations): A tax on transfers of firearms of $5 per ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 186k
25 votes
Accepted

Can U.S. Tax Forms Be Legally HTMLified?

There are no copyright restrictions, since tax forms are government works and statutorily not protected. The IRS in fact says that you can use a substantially identical form for W9, as long as you don'...
user6726's user avatar
  • 206k
24 votes

Is this story about US tax office reasonable?

There is no general law making it illegal to lie about debts, or anything else. It is illegal to lie to a law enforcement officer in the course of an investigation. (And of course it is illegal to lie ...
David Siegel's user avatar
24 votes
Accepted

Is there really a German law that requires that credit card companies *only* provide statements in read-only format?

The laws you are looking for are §§144 ff Abgabeordnung (AO) and are for those who are required by law (earnings greater € 500000) to retain their bank statements and wish to do so in an electronic ...
Mark Johnson's user avatar
  • 5,320
24 votes
Accepted

Friend using my address for tax return

If a friend uses my home address for his tax return, and he owes the IRS tons of money, will I be liable in any way? Assuming that this is an income tax or sale tax return, rather than a property tax ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 186k
24 votes

Is this true? "Thanks to GDPR laws, EU country A cannot check/investigate a corporate structure of a company incorporated in EU country B"

Is this actually true? Not really although there may be figments of truth woven in. First, the GDPR does not prevent tax authorities from determining layers of corporate ownership or investigating ...
ohwilleke's user avatar
  • 186k
23 votes
Accepted

Why is PayPal blocking my account according to U.S. tax law, if I've a UK account only?

The reason that you are being asked to comply with a US law is because PayPal, a US company, is required to comply with US laws. If you do not comply, it is likely that they will be non-compliant and ...
jimsug's user avatar
  • 12k
22 votes

If you are a lawyer of a thief, drug dealer, or human trafficker, what would you tell your client to tell IRS?

The most recent Supreme Court Rulings on the matter is that of Garner v. United States in tandem with United States v. Sullivan. Sullivan ruled that the 5th amendment does not permit a tax payer from ...
hszmv's user avatar
  • 22.5k
20 votes
Accepted

At what salary do I need to withhold taxes?

A babysitter is a household employee in the IRS's parlance. This means that: [Y]ou may need to withhold and pay social security and Medicare taxes, pay federal unemployment tax, or both. To find out,...
Michael Seifert's user avatar
18 votes

As a US citizen, what law requires me to pay income tax?

The Internal Revenue Code found at Title 26 of the United States Code. Title 26 is the full compilation of all the laws passed by Congress relating to tax liability and every other legal obligation, ...
gracey209's user avatar
  • 11.2k
18 votes
Accepted

Can a founder of a non-profit company in Germany (gGmbH) receive a salary?

The crucial phrase is "in ihrer Eigenschaft als Mitglieder". This restricts the prohibition on receiving benefits from the gGmbH to benefits you'd receive because you are a partner. It is ...
Arno's user avatar
  • 1,007
15 votes

Does the right against self incrimination mean you can't be forced to file a tax return?

Since you asked, and it's a perfectly legitimate question, here's why it doesn't violate the Fifth Amendment (from Garner v. US): The Fifth Amendment doesn't say "you can't be made to say anything ...
cpast's user avatar
  • 23.4k
15 votes
Accepted

How can employer and union agree to tax-free payments?

certain kinds of payments just are tax-free There are several kinds of tax-free special payments in germany, such as certain types of additional payments (for example "Vermögenswirksame ...
Trish's user avatar
  • 31.4k
14 votes
Accepted

How do US municipalities get their authority to govern?

A common phrase regarding US cities is, "cities are creatures of the state." All of their authority comes from the authority granted states, and states can limit the authority of cities, counties and ...
user15741's user avatar
  • 256
14 votes

Why doesn't everyone in UK just pay with exempted gifts?

Why doesn't everyone in UK just pay with exempted gifts? Very short answer to complement ohwilleke's one: Gifts cannot be paid with. If you are paying with something it is a payment, not a gift.
Greendrake's user avatar
  • 24.5k
14 votes

How can the the USA legally ask illegal immigrants to pay taxes while denying them any legal basis of citizenship?

Paying taxes need not have any legal connection to citizenship or potential citizenship. There is no constitutional provision, or law, which limits taxation to citizens or those on a path to ...
David Siegel's user avatar
14 votes

Does the federal government have authority to impose tax laws at the state level?

They aren't "imposing tax laws at the state level", and the states are still perfectly free to award whatever credits they like. There's a more complete explanation here. Before 2017, if you paid, ...
Nate Eldredge's user avatar
14 votes
Accepted

Tax Implication of COVID-19 Induced Remote Employment

You will probably not be able to take a tax deduction for this. The IRS requires that the space that you use for your home office is that the portion of your house is exclusively and regularly used ...
Ron Beyer's user avatar
  • 9,225
14 votes

Is there a good reason for the IRS to seize ATF 4473 Forms?

Records of firearms sales would be records of financial sales as well. One would suppose the issue is that the business is being investigated for not paying proper taxes, and this would be a way of ...
Tiger Guy's user avatar
  • 4,939

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