Virginia may be for lovers, but for same-sex married couples who already had to go elsewhere to tie the knot, tax time could present new burdens.
The reason is a recent decision by Virginia’s tax collectors to treat gay couples differently than the IRS does.
The Virginia Department of Taxation, after consulting with Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli II’s office, has ruled that the state will not conform to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service’s new tax treatment of same-sex married couples because state law and a state constitutional amendment prohibit recognition of gay marriage.
As a result, gay couples must now file their federal tax returns as married couples — either jointly or separately — but will have to file Virginia tax returns as single individuals.
The ACLU of Virginia saw the decision as reaffirmation of the state’s “ongoing hostility toward lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Virginians, including legally married same-sex couples.”
Church protest land use taxing
Washingtonpost.com:
Prince William County staff and the state of Virginia should find ways to allow for real-estate tax exemptions for religious institutions that own vacant land, the Prince William Board of County Supervisors directed Tuesday.
About 30 church leaders and congregation members told county supervisors during an evening board session that the tax assessor’s office was too strict when it comes to taxes on their charitable nonprofits, which are generally tax-exempt.
One of the prime examples is New Life Gainesville church, which is taxed on about half of its property that has only trees and streams on it. While the church building and parking lot remain exempt from taxes, the remainder of its wooded property is taxed about $1,000 per year, leaders have said.
Because it’s in the county’s protected rural area, the church can’t sell or subdivide the land. County officials say they are abiding by state law, which says that land can only be tax-exempt when it is used “exclusively” for religious use.
New Life’s situation, or a similar predicament, is shared by a total of 13 churches in Prince William, according to county officials. Other pastors said Tuesday they had run into the county tax collector when it comes to vacant land that they have bought and plan to build on in the future
And the IRS Commissioner is…….????
GOP presidential hopeful, Marco Rubio, demanded the IRS Commissioner resign in a letter to Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew.
Dear Secretary Lew:
Recent revelations about the Internal Revenue Service’s selective and deliberate targeting of conservative organizations are outrageous and seriously concerning. This years-long abuse of government power is an assault on the free speech rights of all Americans. This direct assault on our Constitution further justifies the American people’s distrust in government and its ability to properly implement our laws.
The American people deserve answers about how such seemingly unconstitutional and potentially criminal behavior could occur, and who else was aware of it throughout the Administration. It is imperative that you, your predecessor, and other past and present high-ranking officials at the Department of Treasury and IRS immediately testify before Congress.
Sales Tax Woes
WASHINGTON — The Senate sided with traditional retailers and financially strapped state and local governments Monday by passing a bill that would widely subject online shopping — for many a largely tax-free frontier — to state sales taxes.
The Senate passed the bill by a vote of 69 to 27, getting support from Republicans and Democrats alike. But opposition from some conservatives who view it as a tax increase will make it a tougher sell in the House. President Barack Obama has conveyed his support for the measure.
Under current law, states can only require retailers to collect sales taxes if the store has a physical presence in the state.
That means big retailers with stores all over the country like Wal-Mart, Best Buy and Target collect sales taxes when they sell goods over the Internet. But online retailers like eBay and Amazon don’t have to collect sales taxes, except in states where they have offices or distribution centers.
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Sen. Dick Saslaw opposes McDonnell’s road funding proposal
McDonnell isn’t much of a businessman. Saslaw is right. Why should Virginians absorb the entire cost when clearly 1/3 cars on our highways are out of state. McDonnell shoots himself in the foot, again, with this proposal. The metrics aren’t on his side.
Virginia Senate votes to raise Virginians’ taxes
Legislation to eliminate a tax loophole that allows online businesses to not collect state sales taxes sailed through the Virginia Senate today.
The so-called “Amazon loophole” bill — Senate Bill 597, sponsored by Sen. Frank W. Wagner, R-Virginia Beach — cleared the chamber on a 34-6 vote and now heads to the House of Delegates.
The legislation was lobbied extensively by groups representing Virginia retailers who said the loophole gives online businesses a competitive advantage. In effect, it would require Internet businesses with bricks and mortar facilities in Virginia to collect the state’s five percent sales tax on their transactions.
Amazon has a warehouse and data center in Virginia and plans to open two distribution centers in the state under a deal struck with the administration of Gov. Bob McDonnell that provides more than $4 million in state aid. The state and Amazon are still in negotiations.
Is the Senate undercutting Governor McDonnell’s efforts with Amazon? Do they not see this political move as increasing the taxes of Virginians?
Father and friend report social services unresponsive
The dreadful story of the neglected children in Bristow continues. Interviews with the father of the first set of neglected kids reveal even more information. Apparently the mother, Christina Dawn Moore, does have visitation with the twins who were found wandering in diapers at a junk yard when they were toddlers. Their father is Daniel Tinchard who now has custody of his children. He reported that he has made several calls regarding abuse and neglect,
According to News and Messenger:
In the past few years, Tincher estimates he made three or four complaints to Social Services – including one alleging physical abuse – regarding his twin boys. The boys live with their father in Bealeton but go to Moore’s house on selected weekends due to a visitation agreement.
A friend of the family has also made numerous complaints.
The family friend, who attended Brentsville High School with Moore in the early 2000s, said she made close to 10 calls from 2007 to 2010 to the Prince William and Fauquier Social Services departments regarding the situation. She said she heard nothing from anyone other than a brief phone conversation with a social worker.
Mayor Cory Booker: The Snow Storm Hero of Newark
Newark Mayor Cory Booker is certainly the star of the giant east coast December snow storm. He is twittering all over the place and out there rescuing people in destress. He might even be wearing a superman cape. He has delivered diapers to a family who was out, helped shovel out cars,
According to the New York Daily News:
Trapped in Newark after Blizzard 2010? Mayor Cory Booker wants to rescue you – and he’s only a tweet away.
Booker has been tweeting up a storm, personally responding to tweets from citizens stranded by snowed-over streets. For days, Newark’s hero mayor has helped dig out buried cars and snowy roads – and even delivered diapers to a stranded Newark family.
“Highland Ave b/w Bal and Berk not touched yet. My sis can’t get out to get diapers,” Timothy Hester frantically tweeted Booker. Hester lives in Virginia and tweeted the mayor on behalf of his snowbound sister Barbara, who lives in Newark.
The valiant mayor tweeted back, “I’m delivering the diapers now. We will get to her street soon.”
Dick Morris compares tax-cut compromise to Hirohito signing surrender in World War II
Now what is that old whore-monger Dick Morris babbling about now? Surrender? He should talk.
And what does President Obama have to say on the matter? According to MSNBC:
President Barack Obama announced the parameters of a tentative deal with Republicans on extending the Bush tax cuts, acknowledging that he still strongly opposes the extension of cuts for the very wealthy but saying that continuing a fight at the expense of the middle class would be “the wrong thing to do.”
“We have arrived at a framework for a bipartisan agreement,” the president said, after noting that it is “abundantly clear” that Republicans will block a permanent extension of tax cuts for the middle class without an extension for top earners as well.
“As much as the political wisdom may dictate fighting over solving problems, it would be the wrong thing to do,” to delay resolution until the next year, Obama said.
Some of the broad parameters of the deal, reported by NBC’s Chuck Todd, are:
— 2-year extension of ALL Bush-era tax rates
— 13-month extension of unemployment insurance
— 2 percentage point decrease in the payroll tax for one year.
The overall cost in lost revenue to the government is at least $450 billion in 2011 (or a tad higher than the yearly cost of the 2009 stimulus) and could climb as high as $600 billion depending on how much the economy grows over the next two years.
In the deal will be some extension of small business tax breaks as well and a “fix” to address inflation indexing of the alternative minimum tax (AMT) rates.
So how do we pay for it all? Do we borrow money from China to pay for the Republican tax cuts? I guess it is all a matter of priorities. What happened to the cuts in Social Security tax? I thought FICA was going to be reduced. Maybe just social security pay outs will be cut.
There is also more to come on the the estate tax. No mention of capital gains taxes.
Whatever deals he cut, President wasn’t going to leave the American people hanging.
Tax cuts for the middle class are chicken crap?
Apparently tax cuts for the middle class are chicken crap, according to the heir apparent speaker John Boehner. Okkkayyyy.
One of my most serious pet peeves with the Democrats is their ability to drop the ball and allow the Republicans to define their rhetoric. Today the House votes to extend middle class tax cuts created during the Bush administration, in accordance with what President Obama campaigned for. The tax cuts would expire for anyone making more than $250,000.
As I sat up in the night listening to all the days events, suddenly this tax cut vote had turned into democrats voting for a tax increase because the Republicans would never pass it. STOP! That isn’t what happened. The Democrats voted to extend the tax cuts for those making less than $250,000. Nothing more. Nothing less. Any spin is just that, spin.
If Republicans fail to get on board with extending tax cuts for 98% of the American people, then it is they who are going to have the problem. At least half of Congress are millionaires. It should be perfectly obvious that the Republicans are playing to their country club buddies who hand over the big checks. If the Republicans had the stones, they would jump on board with this or …they could have compromised and probably gotten the ceiling changed to $500,000 or even a million dollars. Or, they could go in after the first of the year and propose new legislation to include their sort of rich buddies.
Hopefully the middle class will not forget that they are going to be sold out for 30 pieces of silver. Where are the jobs that are supposed to be created? We have had the Bush tax cuts for a long time. Where are the jobs? The jobs excuse is what is chicken crap, Mr. Speaker. I see Congress circling the wagons for their rich cronies and spewing rhetoric.
If your taxes go up after January 1 and you are in the middle class, send a big thank you note with a chicken on it to the Republican Congress because that is who you can thank. And its time for the Democrats to stop letting the Republicans define who and what they are about. Democrats, stones time!!
Tax Cut Speculations
The Bush tax cuts are due to expire at the end of the year. It sounds like President Obama is standing firm on tax cuts for the middle class and that reports from the Huffington Post were wrong. He still feels it would be irresponsible to permanently extend tax cuts for the upper 2%.
According to CNN:
Speaking Friday, Obama said his “number one priority” is extending tax cuts for the middle class. “I also believe that it would be fiscally irresponsible for us to permanently extend the high income tax cuts,” he said. “I think that would be a mistake, particularly when we’ve got our Republican friends saying that their number one priority is making sure that we are dealing with our debt and our deficit.”
A good compromise would be to push the upper limits a little higher. Perhaps only those making $500,000 and above should not be have tax cuts extended. No one ever wants to be that person who has their taxes raised. However, those making over a half million dollars annually can sure afford it more than the children of the lesser gods.
