The Three Wise Accountants

[Margaret CPA in OH]

I hope this comes through. It was very dark so I lightened it. Seemed to fit the season for the likes of us here! Moderators, feel free to adjust, edit, etc. Beyond my skill set!

Accts.pdf

[Catherine]

LOL!!

(But as we all know, the Roman year started in March and the Jewish year (though it migrates due to the lunar calendar) also does not start in January.)

[Margaret CPA in OH]

We know it but they don't! Or maybe the accountants were working with a fiscal year. Who knows exactly how taxation worked back then?

[Jack from Ohio]

Taxation BC.... King Decreed, people paid, King's henchmen collected.

Taxation 2013.... O'king Decrees, people pay, O'king's henchmen (IRS) collect.

Seems that some things never change!!

[bertrans]

Taxation BC.... King Decreed, people paid, King's henchmen collected.

Taxation 2013.... O'king Decrees, people pay, O'king's henchmen (IRS) collect.

Seems that some things never change!!

During the period of Roman rule, when they were faced with collecting taxes from all over the known world, the Romans deviced an extraordinarly devilish method: each year, the fiscal authorities would decree, with force of law, how much money in tax was owed to the Empire from each province. Let's say that Gaul (France) was assessed at 'X' sesterces; that was considered a contract, and bid for at auction by wealthy businesmen; the contract was awarded to the highest bidder (higher than 'X'); the winner was then authorised, with Roman military backup, to send collectors to France to 'collect' the 'X' + the excess he had paid for the bid + then the profit margin..... The final collected tax could be up to 10-fold the original assessment (and there were NO deductions).And we think we've got it bad!

[Guest Taxed]

>>> the contract was awarded to the highest bidder (higher than 'X');

Don't give Republicans any ideas. Some of them want to abolish the IRS. They may let private business collect taxes just like how the Romans did! According to them Govt. can't do anything right!

[Hillenburg]

>>> the contract was awarded to the highest bidder (higher than 'X');

Don't give Republicans any ideas. Some of them want to abolish the IRS. They may let private business collect taxes just like how the Romans did! According to them Govt. can't do anything right!

So you would say our current tax code is "doing it right"?

[Guest Taxed]

So you would say our current tax code is "doing it right"?

Would you rather have the Roman system?

""with Roman military backup, to send collectors to France to 'collect' the 'X' + the excess he had paid for the bid + then the profit margin..... The final collected tax could be up to 10-fold the original assessment (and there were NO deductions).And we think we've got it bad! "

[MsTabbyKats]

So you would say our current tax code is "doing it right"?

And let's look at our system.

The taxpayer pays us.....so we interrogate them...and which implies they are lying....and make them prove that they are telling us the truth.

And...if we cannot get the truth out of the taxpayer.....we have to pay a penalty.

[Crank]

No system will ever be fair for all. The one thing that holds true is that MY taxes are too high!

[MsTabbyKats]

No system will ever be fair for all. The one thing that holds true is that MY taxes are too high!

I always tell the people:

You should be happy your tax is so high....it means you're making money.

[Guest Taxed]

When my clients complain that they are paying too much in taxes I take that handy dandy chart out that shows where each dollar of tax is spent. Then I tell them if they have a problem with that call your Senator and House Rep.

We just had new tolls for the Mass pike in Western MA, and on our state return you get a deduction for that if it is over a certain amount per year. Some of my clients were unhappy that they instituted it too late, they wont reach the threshold

[kcjenkins]

So you would say our current tax code is "doing it right"?

Would you rather have the Roman system?

""with Roman military backup, to send collectors to France to 'collect' the 'X' + the excess he had paid for the bid + then the profit margin..... The final collected tax could be up to 10-fold the original assessment (and there were NO deductions).And we think we've got it bad! "

That is a false choice. Like if you said "I don't like coffee" and I came back with "Would you rather drink poison?"

[Guest Taxed]

That is a false choice. Like if you said "I don't like coffee" and I came back with "Would you rather drink poison?"

Here we were talking about tax regimes and tax collection methods! You may recall that many Republicans want to completely abolish IRS! So then presumably Republicans will device some other method to collect federal taxes. Since they say that Govt. can't do anything right, the obvious choice would be the highest bidder in a private system.

So that's where the analogy was.

Now just to be absolutely clear i am NOT suggesting anyone to drink Poison instead of Coffee!

[Mr. Pencil]

Back to the original post. Bad tax advice, you know?

[MAMalody]

<<<Since they say that Govt. can't do anything right,>>> Can you provide a quote of a Republican saying that? If they did, they sure were not very bright.

[Guest Taxed]

The late Ronald Reagan!

Govt. is the problem!

[Catherine]

Thomas Jefferson: "My reading of history shows that most bad government is the result of TOO MUCH government."

Please note - Mr. Jefferson was NOT a Republican. The first Republican President was Abraham Lincoln; the Republican Party was founded as an abolitionist party.

[MAMalody]

The late Ronald Reagan!

Govt. is the problem!

You said "Since they say that Govt. can't do anything right". Again, can you provide a quote of a Republican saying that?

[Mr. Pencil]

You said "Since they say that Govt. can't do anything right".

Again, can you provide a quote of a Republican saying that?

[easytax]

As an :aside: The government through the ACA (not political comment -- just stating from somewhere else in the general posts) is helping tax preparers by *** pushing*** people to have a need for practitioners -- to benefit from the ACA.

Now some state governments (MD, NV mentioned to show MD not alone but with different reasons) are again "helping" practitioners by allowing "Illegal" parties to obtain government ID's and have same 'privileges" as U.S. citizens (at least in PA it's a privilege, not a right) by simply filing a tax return -- which may ***push*** more people to tax preparers'.

Would not these two things be considered "government doing something right" -- therefore the quote "Govt. can't be doing anything right" --- would be incorrect. REGARDLESS of the argument that --- recognizing that something being done illegally by someone can NOW have have "legal" and allowed rights, benefits, etc. --- Our government is "smarter than that" (aren't they?).

By the way -- President Regan did say "Govt. was the problem" (can't argue with his facts) but that IS a FAR CRY from a quote of 'Govt. can't do anything right"

Here's the quote from an MSN article today: (MSN link led to this URL - http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/237926601.html?page=2&c=y )

NEVADA: Immigrants living in the United States without legal permission can apply for driver authorization cards starting Jan. 2. State officials anticipate tens of thousands of people will apply under the program.

MARYLAND: In a program similar to Nevada's, immigrants living in the U.S. illegally will be able to obtain a state driver's license or identification card if they can provide evidence of a filed state income tax return or were claimed as a dependent for each of the preceding two years.

Look at the boon we as tax practitioners can benefit from these Govt. ideas.

Have a GREAT NEW YEAR !

[MAMalody]

LOL. I love it!! Thanks.