taxes

Court rules you probably shouldn't rely on your dentist for tax advice

By adamg - 1/6/12 - 6:07 pm

A federal appeals court today upheld the 3-year prison sentences given a Cape couple who stopped paying their federal taxes on the advice of their dentist.

The US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit in Boston ruled today that Frederick and Kimberlee Allen not only got a fair trial in 2010 on charges they didn't pay any taxes between 1999 and 2008 despite annual income of more than $100,000, but that the judge in their trial made a point of telling the jury it could not convict them if they really believed they were acting in good faith, despite warnings from the IRS and the conviction of the alleged financial planner who later took on advising them on tax matters after they agreed their dentist knew what he was talking about when he said they didn't owe the government a dime:

In this case, the Allens claimed that, in general, ordinary wage earners were not subject to tax on their income because the Internal Revenue Code did not say they were liable. Improbable though their profession of belief may seem, the jury was instructed up, down and sideways that they were entitled to be acquitted if they held this belief in good faith. The jury did not credit them on what is an issue of fact, namely, the sincerity of their professed beliefs.

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Boston woman files $10-million lawsuit against AT&T over taxes on her iPhone Internet service

By adamg - 1/19/10 - 7:39 pm

Leslie Rock, a Beacon Hill resident who pays AT&T roughly $30 a month to connect her iPhone to the Internet, today filed a class-action lawsuit in US District Court in Boston that charges the company is illegally collecting taxes on the service.

In her complaint, Rock seeks to establish a class of Massachusetts residents who, collectively, are owed $10 million because federal and state law prohibits taxes on Internet services. However, the suit also alleges these "thousands of individuals" are being charged both state and local sales tax on the service even though Massachusetts cities and towns have no local sales taxes.

Complete complaint.

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State revenue continues to imitate rock dropped from a cliff

By adamg - 10/2/09 - 3:06 pm

Despite tax hikes.

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Court: Massachusetts can't collect sales tax from stores in New Hampshire

By adamg - 8/25/09 - 12:13 pm

The Supreme Judicial Court ruled today the state can't force companies in New Hampshire to collect the Massachusetts sales tax on sales to Massachusetts residents (so New Hampshire can continue to proclaim Tax Free or Die).

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City Council discusses tax increases; sign-holding candidate forced to take sign down

By adamg - 7/29/09 - 3:20 pm

The Boston City Council discussed Mayor Menino's proposal to raise local meals and hotel-room taxes, but took no action on the plan so that its Committee on Government Operations can hold a hearing in August - standard procedure under council rules for new business.

Menino has proposed a 0.75% meals tax - on top of the 6.25% state tax going into effect on Saturday - and an increase of 2 percentage points in the current tax on hotel rooms. The council's Committee on Government Operations will host a hearing in early to mid August.

During the council discussion today, at-large candidate Doug Bennett, stood up behind councilors with a large "No New Taxes Mayor!" sign. Bennett argues with unemployment near 10%, now is the worst time to be raising any taxes.

On noticing the sign, council President Mike Ross "recessed the meeting and asked him to take the sign down," Reuben Kantor, Ross's chief of staff said. "So he did, and left." Bennett says he was kicked out; Kantor says he was simply asked to take the sign down.

Video of Bennett raising his sign.