Calling Daschle A Tax Cheat Is An Unnecessary Slur

[KittyWampus]

DU'ers know full bloody well Daschle and the other two Democrats didn't do this on purpose... which is exactly what the word 'cheat' implies.

You many not like how Daschle handled being leader in the Senate, his lobbying, his wife's lobbying, his coziness with the health insurance industry... but calling him a tax cheat is following in the Mediawhore's footsteps.

It may piss you off he screwed up on his taxes but to be outright willing to lie and call him a tax cheat is messed up.

A LOT of DU'ers don't even know exactly what he did/didn't do. They don't even know if he ever paid back taxes or if he did pay them, when.

They just didn't like him for the job and picked up the label tax cheat and decided to go with it.

I wasn't crazy with Daschle as Senate leader and didn't care for him as Secretary. But at least I didn't jump in with the bullshit phrase "tax cheat".

And this goes for the other two Democrats who had their taxes and lives gone over with a microscope.

[S_E_Fudd]

1. Absolutely...the downside of the information age...

It is impossible to make a mistake in private anymore...

The smallest or most innocent slip up is available for anyone to see...

It is absolutely ridiculous Daschle felt like he had to withdraw...

[roguevalley]

38. I respectfully disagree for the following reasons:

1. he has served in public life FOREVER and has been around when lobbying rules and tax rules were written.

2. he is married to a lobbyist and the rules would be a part of their discussion, should I do that? should I not do this? not only as part of her job but as part of the discussion about his job when he was a senator.

3. he has been there forever and watched others fuck up. he has been lobbying himself and was there for the rules changes and rewrites. he KNOWS the rules. He DOES KNOW THE RULES.

He didn't care. He just didn't care and that makes him a tax cheat.

[Clear Blue Sky]

39. Correct.

If not nominated, would he have paid his back taxes?

[roguevalley]

41. without it coming out, no. He would not do it. He's too above that

'peasant' stuff, that little people concern. He can't even drive his own damned car.

[Clear Blue Sky]

59. Tha annoying part is that we scream when the Repukes do this,

and here is one of our own doing the same damn thing.

[Common Sense Party]

104. Exactly. We scream bloody murder when the 'pukes are caught

but we are willing to paper it over when our guys do the same sleazy thing.

There's a word for that: Hypocrisy.

[Captain Hilts]

2. Very true. nt

[GodlessBiker]

3. He discovered that taxes were due in June, but didn't pay them until he was nominated.

I don't think "cheat" crosses the line.

[katandmoon]

4. He is a fucking tax cheat. After he learned months ago he owed these taxes he did nothing. He only

Paid some of the back taxes in January no doubt because he was now in the public eye, and he still owes some taxes.

Feel free not to call him a tax cheat, I will continue to.

[ClarkUSA]

7. Wrong. He asked his accountant to do something about it way back in June 2008.

He also didn't have to be transparent. Look how much good it did.

[panAmerican]

45. What do you mean, he didn't have to be transparent?

That is the least we should expect from public officials. And if they refuse or are incapable of doing so, the voting population should do its civic duty and throw their asses out.

[ClarkUSA]

47. Just what I said. He didn't have to publicly disclose it. But he did the right thing and did.

He didn't have to reveal anything. I'm sure he and Team O didn't expect fellow Democrats to throw shit at them along
with the MSM whores and happy Republicans. I'm glad you're happy, too.

That is the least we should expect from public officials. And if they refuse or are incapable of doing so, the voting
population should do its civic duty and throw their asses out.

Using your yardstick for transparency, then you probably felt that President Clinton deserved to be impeached and
Americans should have thrown his ass out, right?

[panAmerican]

49. Yes, though not for the ML affair that you seem to imply.

[CitizenPatriot]

51. I agree totally

Meanwhile, we got Palin with house gate, dairy gate, unpaid taxes gate and no one said peep about it. Her taxes were "revised" right after she was nominated.

Hello?

Or Coleman? The list is endless.

He started the process in June, and actually paid for more than he used the car. He also got a revision notice from another company and had to amend his taxes for that reason. That happens to me often enough to believe it.

It wasn't a deliberate attempt at hiding stuff. He took responsibility for it, so it looks horrible. compare that with McCain's wife who paid her taxes (pre-paid for the next year so it would look better) long after they asked for her to disclose them...and Palin and the rest of them.

The only difference is the GOP don't view this as a problem, it's a resume builder for them. And they never accept responsibility.

WE allow the media to eat our own (it's cool when they deserve it-- Blago, e.g.) out of pent up rage for all of the stuff that's been hidden.

Daschle's tax problems were not comparable to Palin's, who still hasn't paid what she should have and never declared the income she should have. Did you see her disqualified?

Oh, no.

And there was a deliberate attempt to hide the truth on her part. That's worse in my book.

[LittleBlue]

63. I'm a tax CPA, and you're wrong

Every tax CPA advises their client that it is their responsibility to file taxes before beginning any work.

It is not the responsibility of the CPA to make payments for you, or to file for you. That is clear in the engagement letter you are required to sign before they accept you as a client.

You are commenting on a process for which you possess no knowledge.

[MajorChode]

77. If he's wrong, explain how he's wrong

To simply declare you're an expert and then say someone is wrong simply based on that premise is quite the crock of bullshit.

The poster you replied to never claimed anything of the sort you allege. He was responding to the completely incorrect assertion that Daschle did "nothing". Daschle self identified the possibility of tax liability and asked his accountant to research it. That is quite the far cry from doing "nothing". And while I'm no CPA, I'm pretty sure that they do indeed get paid to research tax codes, provide professional opinions, and to fill out relevant forms, which is precisely what Daschle asked him to do.

[joeglow3]

100. I too am a tax CPA

It is all ultimately his responsibility. If he was aware of it and contacted is CPA, should he not ask why he has not heard anything SIX MONTHS LATER? Sorry, saying "i asked my CPA about it half a year ago" does not absolve you of anything nor does it make you responsible.

Additionally, I have a problem with someone who ADMITS they screwed up their taxes, wants everyone to know they paid their back taxes, but then fails to tell everyone they ONLY paid back taxes on open tax years. I don't question the legality of not paying on closed years, but I do question the ethics of it.

[MajorChode]

112. Daschle most certainly did follow up with his CPA

Daschle asked his CPA to investigate if he owed taxes on the benefit in June and his CPA replied that he did think there was an obligation. Daschle then instructed him to research the matter and begin work on an amended tax return. So there's more to the story than just a single message with no follow up.

Dascle didn't start receiving the use of the car until 2005. So what closed years are you referring?

[joeglow3]

115. Then, like I said earlier, I am moving to DC

Apparently, all the CPA's there are stupid, lazy & treat their clients like crap and many politicians keep coming back. Why do I bust my tail here when I can just be a screw up in DC?

Sorry, but having passed the CPA exam, I have a hard time believing anyone could pass that test, work for years in taxes and NOT know something as fundamentally simple as owing taxes on a free car & driver received.

[MajorChode]

116. Who said anything about Daschle's CPA being stupid or lazy?

His CPA would never have known anything about it until Daschle told him in June. I suspect it would take time for the CPA to research Daschles particular situation against the tax code and to gather relevant information on how often Daschle used the service, under what circumstances, and what was the fair market value of the service. Now perhaps one might question why it took so long, but there's no telling how many other things he had on his plate, or how cooperative Intermedia was with him on providing records.

[phleshdef]

8. He did what any real businessman does and let his accountant sort it out.

You apparently understand nothing of how things work when you are at that level of wealth.

[katandmoon]

5. He is a fucking tax cheat. After he learned months ago he owed these taxes he did nothing. He only

Paid some of the back taxes in January no doubt because he was now in the public eye, and he still owes some back taxes.

Feel free not to call him a tax cheat, I will continue to. It was his responsibility to keep on top of the taxes he owed, and pay them when he owed them, and he didn't.

[phleshdef]

6. Many here don't know shit about dealing with the level of finances someone like Daschle dealt with.

Thats what it comes down to. Being a person who works around a lot of white collar types who make a lot of money from various sources, this stuff happens all the time. Its not out of a desire to evade taxes. The more money you make and the more sources are involved, the more complicated it becomes.

Daschle may not have been the best choice for HHS, but he certainly isn't a tax cheat. People who say that come off just as fucking foolish as Sarah Palin when she accused Obama of "pallin' around with terrorists". Its a way exaggerated slur that has no basis within reason.

[Rebubula]

9. So...

...the rich get a pass??

Hmmm...I have to disagree with your logic.

[phleshdef]

11. Who is getting a fucking pass? No one was charged with a crime or even came close to it.

[Eurobabe]

34. oh good grief, then fire the accountant and get a new one!

sorry but that argument is lame. He didn't know. :eyes:

[mod mom]

36. Yeah, whodda thought that you would have to pay taxes on someone giving you

a driver & car. :eyes:

[MajorChode]

78. In many cases, you don't.

[Elidor]

40. The notion that Daschle had to ask an accountant whether he owed taxes on a free car & driver

Is absurd. Go on, pull the other one - it's got bells on!

[phleshdef]

44. Go ahead, keep reinforcing your blatant ignorance on how common this kind of thing is.

[laugle]

55. Stop insulting other members

of this forum! You are the one that looks ignorant by continuing to defend his actions.

Daschle is gone, move on to something more productive.

You sent me 2 nasty replies, I'm done with you..........

Your disrespect for member's with an opposite viewpoint, and your inability to have a discussion in a civil way is disgusting and serves no useful purpose.

[phleshdef]

56. Right, you are being SO civil about this yourself with all the foaming at the mouth and all.

[laugle]

57. I don't come here to

insult other members, you obviously do. I am a real estate professional, and my time is limited here.

I do what I can for the cause and I try to be objective. We will have many things in the future to fight for, Daschle leaving is a good thing, IMO, I don't care to spend anymore time on it.

My concerns now, are with the stimulus package, which IMO, will need a lot of re-working before it passes. There is no time to waste. The foreclosures are mounting, and the credit markets have dried up. Banks are not lending, greedy credit card companies are raising rates and closing cards out all together. Until these credit markets loosen, we are all screwed. I try to remain optimistic.

You should remember that we are nameless/faceless people on a message board, and you should keep your personal judgments to yourself, (it makes you look foolish) and try to focus on policy and the topic at hand, rather than personalities/personal insults.

Saying, I need to grow-up was just plain silly..........

Insults just shut down the discussion, but maybe that's what you are aiming for, I hope not!

[smalll]

73. Yeah, we're so "out of touch" because we don't know how complex it is to write off our chauffeurs --

after all, every self-respecting citizen has to deal with the chauffeur dilemna when it comes to tax time.

Or we're just "out-of-the-mainstream" non-chaffeured (WHAT?!?!) dirtbags.

Right? :shrug:

[smalll]

72. --- The "let them eat cake" defense --

AKA "the rich are different from you and me" defense. How goes it, Marie Antoinette?

I'd bet you're a Mac guy (or girl) -- am I right? (Plus you buy your food at Whole Paycheck (sorry, "Whole Foods."))

[Romulox]

88. The Rich aren't like us--they can't be expected to play by the same rules! nt

[Boomerang Diddle]

10. K & R!

:kick:

[MNDemNY]

12. Shoes that fit, should be worn.

A cheat is a cheat.

[Phx_Dem]

16. Mistakes are cheating. Don't be an ass.

[phleshdef]

19. Yea and making moves to pay it once your accountant tells you to is also cheating...

I can't believe so many DUers are embracing Republican talking point soundbytes.

[CitizenPatriot]

52. gotta agree with you there

it's disappointing.

Y'all can yell all you want that he's a cheat, but my taxes are complicated and I'm not wealthy. I turn everything over to my accountant, sometimes I forget things and find them later or get mailed things after he filed, so we have to revise our taxes. Sometimes we wait to do that because you get an EXTENSION to revise them which gives you 6 months or whatever....and you know you're going to get one more revision, so you wait.

sorry, but it's true.

Not trying to put one over on anyone - why would a DUer do that? I just hate to see us buy the republican talking points. recipe for failure.

maybe he wasn't the right guy, but this was the WRONG issue and unfairly debated in the public arena.

it would be great if we could all remember what they did to Clinton and who owns the media. remember the lies about Caroline that were "leaked"? the lies about extraordinary renditions that were "leaked" by unnamed sources? the lies about the stimulus plan????

IT would frankly be foolish to assume they were telling the truth about this. He is NOT a tax cheat. Unfair character attacks which are spilling over onto our President.

[MNDemNY]

20. "mistake"??? right, he did his own taxes, and made a "mistake" ...Pull your head out!

[phleshdef]

21. Um no, he worked with an accountant. Get your facts straight.

And regardless, he resolved the problem and no one in the IRS suggested or is suggesting that he was committing any crimes. Pull YOUR head out.

[MNDemNY]

23. When you defend such actions by government officials, you dilute any claim of a "new washington"

Keep your head in, the light of day may blind you.

[phleshdef]

27. LOL. "defend such actions" . Christ, such over the top, glorious BULLSHIT.

Seriously, you are silly. He committed no crimes and he set it right by the end of the year.

I would laugh at you and mock you even more, but the fact that people really exist who are so willing to exaggerate this at the expense of a man's reputation who didn't actually do anything all that wrong makes me a little sad and ruins my otherwise jovial mood.

[MNDemNY]

30. The man spent his own reputation, His doing, not mine.

He made the choice to live a public life. To bad for his dumb-ass. He should have hired a better CPA. Crime-or-no-crime, he should have known he would be held to a more stringent standard. No pity.

[phleshdef]

32. "No pity". Spoken like an arrogant, discompassionate insult to Democrats everywhere.

[Terran]

25. Maybe you'd like to try doing taxes for someone like that?

or for Geitner? You'd screw it up too, I'm, unless you're an accountant.

[MNDemNY]

28. He should hire better CPAs.

[Terran]

29. I'm sure he will.

In the meantime, he made good the mistake. Maybe you should cut the self-righteous bullshit, it's not very good for your karma.

[MNDemNY]

31. Karma?? Will "god" get me as well? I'm scared.

[Terran]

46. You should be.

And it has nothing to do with "god" (quoting you).

[MNDemNY]

60. What should I be afraid of?

[Phx_Dem]

13. Very True. Unlike Sarah Palin who IS a tax cheat.

Daschle amended his return and paid the required taxes plus interest. Palin, however, traveled on numerous occassions with her husband and children on the state's dime, never reported it and never paid the taxes. Instead she produced some lame letter from her attorney saying she didn't have to pay taxes on that travel. I guess her family is employed by the state of Alaska.

Now THAT is a tax cheat.

[MajorChode]

81. Furthermore all of this happened MONTHS before Obama got elected

Had Daschle never self identified the problem with his taxes, it's not likely that anyone would have been the wiser. However, since Daschle suspected, followed up, and took action to correct the problem (months before Obama was elected), even DUers are accusing him of being a "tax cheat". I find the level of stupidity and/or ignorance there simply astounding.

I kind of expect this sort of blatant bullshit blather from the wingnuts. To them I say that they gave up their rights to accuse anyone of being a tax cheat when they claimed Mitt "offshore tax dodge guru" Romney, was a "business leader" or when they supported Sarah "per diem chiseler" Palin for VP.

[Phx_Dem]

14. Oops. Dupe. Self-delete

[nsd]

15. K & R!

[firedupdem]

17. He's not a cheat. A cheat would be facing jail time. n/t

[elocs]

18. If you choose to live your life under a microscope, then you had better be above reproach

and stay out of public life because you will be found out. But then is not light supposed to be the best disinfectant and isn't this administration all about "transparency"? Even if these people did not "cheat" is it an improvement to think they are stupid or terminally forgetful? Talk about a case of pissing on peoples' heads and trying to convince them it is raining. What would we be saying here if it was a Republican who had done exactly the same thing? Yeah, I thought so.

[KittyWampus]

53. So your solution to the bullshit Mediawhores is PERFECTION? Meanwhile, the list of what Republicans

have done with impunity is legion.

[elocs]

71. If you want to live a public life and want to be in the Obama administration your life

should be above reproach and if it is not you should clearly tell them. If any Republican has even been accused of what Daschle has been that person would be crucified here, but Democrats should be better than Republicans and we have every right to expect that they should be better. Better and honest about any shortcomings because that is not too much to ask or expect. Oh, by the way, did Obama apologize about this pick?

[we can do it]

22. OOpsie - I Was Unaware That Most People Don't Get To Use Cadilacs for Free

bs - cheater and lobbyist for medical interests - obama was supposed to bring us a change - not just different cheaters

[Runcible Spoon]

24. OK then he's a fucking idiot. Better?

:shrug:

[MNDemNY]

26. Much better, we must embrace the views of fucking idiots, don't ya know, inclusiveness and all.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

33. Thank you.

[Seeking Serenity]

35. Would we call a high-ranking Republican in the exact circumstance a "tax cheat"?

(No, probably worse.)

Point being, if we (collective we) would be willing to paint someone from the other side with a particular brush, we must apply that same brush to someone on our side.

The fact is, if it were a Republican we were takling about, instead of former Sen. Daschle, the opinions would be uniformly, "He's a tax cheat. Send him to jail!"

Let's not engage in double standards, please. Makes us look like we have no transcendent principles.

[KittyWampus]

54. Bullshit. And the fact is, if it had been a Republican we wouldn't have even known about it

or the Mediawhore would have been sure to let us know how THE FACTS rather than just braying "tax cheat".

There is a world of difference between the cesspool that is the Republican party and what they get a way with on a regular basis and the small fry crap Democrats get nailed for.

[tblue37]

37. Our tax code is so bizarrely complex that 100% compliance is

nearly impossible for anyone who has the slightest bit of complication to their income from earnings and other sources. Even I, with my tiny flow of self-employment income from freelance editing, writing, and tutoring, added on to my regular income from my full-time job as an adjunct college lecturer, must hire a tax preparer to help me figure my taxes, and though we try to do everything by the book, the "book" is so complicated that I never feel 100% secure.

People like Daschle, who have multiple income streams from a wide variety of sources, as well as "in kind" taxable goods services (like Daschle's use of a car and driver) must depend on lawyers and accountants, and I would be very surprised if such taxpayers have a clue as to what their actual tax obligations are. They count on their lawyers and accountants to get it right, but also to make sure that they don't pay more than they are required to (which is also appropriate and reasonable). I think a lot of fat cats are tax cheats, but a lot just make use of all the loopholes that our complicit Congress has built into the tax code to protect them against paying their fair share of the tax load. But I also believe that a lot of them end up finding out to their genuine surprise that they owe back taxes simply because in their efforts to protect their clients from paying more than they absolutely must pay, the lawyers and accountants sometimes push the envelope just a tad too far.

[jberryhill]

42. Tax Returns Can Be Amended For Up To Three Years...

I've amended returns in the past, and will likely do so in the future.

What matters is whether one pays what is owed, and that's what the IRS requires.

I consider "cheat" to be one who artificially arranges one's affairs to unlawfully evade taxes (as opposed to legitimate avoidance, such as paying into a qualified retirement plan).

Honest mistakes and oversights, if corrected, are pretty normal.

[acmavm]

43. I agree. It's not the tax thing, which I don't see as being that big a deal

anyway. He paid it, right? It more than likely WAS oversight. It's not the car thing either.

It his UnitedHealth and other ties that are troubling. NO he wasn't a REGISTERED lobbyist, but he worked for corporations that would be subject matter for the department he wanted to head, right.

No question he should not have been considered. But not because of the tax thing.

[ClarkUSA]

48. Who needs Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Drudge when we have the Democratic circular firing squad?

[greendog]

50. He's a political hack and a corporate whore by intention. The tax thing...

...was a mistake.

(maybe)

[lonestarnot]

58. woopsie. You should have voiced your concern day before yesterday.

:evilgrin:

[Bluenorthwest]

61. Fine, instead of tax cheat

I'll call him a guy who does things for his friends that lead them to gift him with a car and driver. That in itself is a terrible thing to call him. There are few favors that lead to such a return of goods. But he is that guy, who gets those gifts. And makes millions in a flash in his free town car, almost as if he was collecting for services previously rendered.

Or gee, maybe his friends gave him the car because Tom is just so gosh darn honest!

[MISSDem]

62. So what would you call him if not a tax cheat?

The title fits. If I "overlooked" paying that much tax I would be in jail and you know it.

[CTLawGuy]

64. calling Daschle

the former "leader" of the Senate is stretching it a little.

[Life Long Dem]

65. I called him a cry baby because he was crying for the job.

And some became offensive because his brother is ill and I should go easy. What his brother has to do with a cry baby is beyond me. :shrug:

[sampsonblk]

66. Good thing you are not his lawyer!

That's a pretty awful defense of the guy.

Take that stuff to court and you'll cause your guy to get extra time!

[donco6]

67. Sorry, I think he's a cheat.

I cannot imagine accepting such a service without considering it a taxable benefit. And neither would any competent tax accountant.

[MajorChode]

80. So Daschle is now a "competent tax accountant"?

[donco6]

90. Well, he'd better fucking be.

He's served on the Senate FINANCE committee for years.

I can't believe people are defending this crook. I don't care if he is a Dem - he KNEW, he HAD to have known, and there's simply NO EXCUSE for it.

[MajorChode]

93. Actually there are several excuses even if he knew about the rules

The problem is there are too many people who simply want to repeat the GOP's (AKA Limbaugh's) talking points without examining the actual facts.

[GeorgeGist]

68. You don't need a microscope to overlook ...

paying $127K in taxes; just a lack of integrity.

[closeupready]

70. And I don't care how much he makes per year - $127k is LOT of money!

Yes, even to millionaires like Daschle.

[Duke Newcombe]

69. Knowinging one and two-man "mom-and-pop" S-corps...

...who listened to shady or not-so-customer-service-oriented CPAs who have been in similar situations, I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one.

It still, however, doesn't help me forgive our President and his half-assed advisors for the sloppy job done on the vetting of the last batch of nominees. He'll live throught this just fine, but what a screwed-up way to start things...

[Dreamer Tatum]

74. Give me a break. He is absolutely and utterly a tax cheat.

For crying out loud, be honest. He knew he owed the taxes and he didn't pay. Blind partisanship is freaking EMBARRASSING to watch.

[asteroid2003QQ47]

75. Give THEM a break!

Those with crippling addictions to obeisance that is. The poor fools honestly believe their blind faith will not ultimately prove counterproductive.

[MajorChode]

79. Why should I give you a break?

...when you don't have your facts straight?

He knew he owed the taxes and he didn't pay.

He suspected he owed taxes. He asked his accountant to research the issue (which has been verified by his emails at the time).

That's not even within a cab ride of being a "tax cheat". In fact, it's quite the opposite.

[democracy1st]

82. Have you read this piece by Glenn Greenwald ?

The guy served on the Senate Finance Committee for years, writing tax law, but he didn't realize there was something shady about the limo his campaign fundraiser-turned-business partner, Leo Hindery, provided for him?


The Daschles: feeding at the Beltway trough
http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2009/02/01/daschle/index.html

[MajorChode]

83. And just exactly what light does he shed on the tax issue?

Greenwald simply makes the case that Daschle is an influence peddler.

Just as the OP said, if you don't like Daschle for other reasons, fine, but accusing him of being a "tax cheat" is simply ludicrous.

[democracy1st]

85. I asked have you read the piece don't give me crap!

[MajorChode]

86. Obviously I did because I made a comment on it

Then you refused to answer my question. So I can assume your faux outrage over someone you think didn't answer your irrelevant question is not directed inward when you refuse to answer a relevant one, no? I'd say that firmly fits under the category of "crap".

[donco6]

91. I run payroll myself.

We run about $1.5 million two times a month. Not a big payroll as far as it goes, but it's simply incomprehensible that someone with his background on the Senate Finance Committee would not know the difference between a taxable and nontaxable benefit. It's preposterous! I don't care who he asked, he's responsible for his own tax return, and he could not have been that idiotic to think that a car and driver were not a taxable benefit. There's a whole fucking SECTION in the tax code about that kind of thing!

Commuter Vehicle Transportation
For a commuter highway vehicle to qualify for an exclusion, the following must apply to the
vehicle:
• It is provided by an employer, or by a third party for the employer.

Neither was true in Daschle's case, and he knew it

• It is used for travel between employee residence (or parking lot) and the workplace.
• It has seating capacity for at least six adults (excluding the driver).
• Half of the seating capacity (excluding the driver) is occupied by employees.
• 80% of the mileage is used for transporting employees between residences, the
workplace and/or parking area. IRC §132(f)(5); Reg. §1.132-9(b)
Commuter transportation may include vanpools, and the vehicles may be owned and operated by
transit authorities or employees.

Dollar Limitations
The maximum nontaxable benefit in 2009 is $120 per month. The maximum applies separately to
each month. IRC §132(f); Rev. Proc. 2008-66

Wake the hell up.

[MajorChode]

92. The transportation WAS provided by Daschle's employer

If the company in question wasn't Daschle's employer, it wouldn't have been taxable in the first place.

But let's assume he WAS aware of the rules, as you claim. That still doesn't mean he KNEW he wasn't paying the required taxes.

He may have assumed the compensation would have been covered on the 1099 that he received from InterMedia, and that is a very good assumption because in fact they were REQUIRED to do so. I'm surprised that someone like you who claims to have superior knowledge on the subject wouldn't know that.

So not only do you assume Daschle had the required intricate knowledge of the tax code (which he may have never been involved in writing legislation for), you assume he KNEW the compensation wasn't being listed on the 1099 he received, which was probably one of dozens of them he got for that year.

Furthermore you ignore the fact that Daschle self identified the problem back in June when he would have nothing politically to gain.

Wake the hell up.

[donco6]

94. Ummm . . . no, it wasn't

It says Daschle was classified as a "consultant." So he was not an employee.

And yes, it would have been taxable, even if he had been an employee, as there is a dollar limit on the benefit.

Just because a taxable benefit isn't on a Form 1099 (which, by the way, illustrates the fact that he was a consultant, not an employee) doesn't absolve him of guilt in omitting the benefit from his taxable income. It's HIS responsibility to claim.

And this knowledge is hardly intricate. It's right on TurboTax, for God's sake.

[MajorChode]

97. You simply want to argue over semantics....

rather than addressing my post.

Daschle was getting paid by Intermedia. If he wasn't, there would be no need to report anything. So call him an employee or consultant or whatever else you want to call him. It doesn't change the reality that Intermedia didn't report the income on the 1099.

Since you didn't address my post, I'll ask you this. Do you inspect every single one of your W-2s and/or 1099s against your bank statements to make SURE you are living up to your "responsibility" to pay all of your taxes?

If the answer is no (and I suspect it is), then how can you reasonably expect Daschle to do the same when he most likely receives far more of them in far greater amounts?

The question is rhetorical. Everyone expects politicians to live up to impossible standards they very rarely live up to themselves.

[donco6]

99. Yeah, sure. Semantics.

Never mind.

[MajorChode]

101. Yep, all semantics, no substance

Thanks for playing.

[Common Sense Party]

106. That'd be a great defense during an IRS audit: "You're just playing semantics."

It'll go over real well.

[mainer]

96. What about cab fare for employees? Just curious.

In NYC, when employees work really late or the weather's horrid, some companies (e.g. publishers) will pay for car service or taxicabs to get the workers home. Is this considered a taxable benefit? What if the car and driver is actually an employee of the company itself? When I travel, very often they'll send a company car and driver to pick me up and drive me around on business meetings. Is this taxable income? Isn't it the equivalent of having an employee fly between cities for meetings, and then taxing him on the cost of his airfare, even though he's traveling ONLY because of business? I've never even thought about this before.

[MajorChode]

98. No, you are allowed to exclude certain travel expenses for business

If those expenses exceed amounts allowed by the IRS, or they are used for personal purposes (as was the case with Daschle), then it falls under taxable income. However, those amounts should be reflected on a W-2 or 1099. In Daschle's case they weren't.

[donco6]

102. All are separate questions.

The independent car service and taxis are probably taxable income. Generally, the IRS doesn't allow for reimbursement between work and home.

If the car and driver are provided by the employer, probably not taxable, unless it exceeds the maximum/month allowance. Then the excess becomes taxable. This is true of lots of benefits, such as life insurance in excess of $50,000.

On a BUSINESS trip (not between work and home), the taxis et al should be paid with a company credit card. If you pay on your personal card and ask for reimbursement, you can trigger an audit situation. Anytime you receive a company check outside your regular salary (particularly reimbursements), it tends to flag your return. Best to be avoided.

I've never seen airfare taxed. It's usually paid directly by the company and THEY write it off as a business expense. Even if you paid yourself and got reimbursed, it should not be taxable. But you run into the reimbursement thing again - even more so.

[mainer]

109. Thank you. I admit, it's all a bit overwhelming.

I can see where some people just have no idea what's taxable and what isn't.

I do think, though, that if an employee is forced to work late, and getting home might be a dangerous proposition (say a female reporter), then the company policy of paying cab fare only seems like a prudent and practical thing to offer.

[donco6]

110. There's often little relation between sensibility and taxability. n/t

[obiwan]

76. He's a politician.

Calling him a tax cheat is an oxymoron.

[JTFrog]

84. "Among Washington's BMW's and Limo's....

Is this... Since 1971 the old Pontiac has served it's owner well. Sure it's rusted, and it burns a little oil, but after 15 years and 238,000 miles, Tom Daschle still drives his old car to work everyday. Maybe he's sentimental, which is... cheap. Whatever the case, Isn't it too bad the rest of Washington doesn't understand, that a penny saved is a penny earned."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x267726

But hey, who would have known!?!

I could save a few pennies myself if I didn't pay my taxes. :eyes:

[depakid]

87. Oh, he's a tax cheat alright

try to do something similar yourself... see what happens.

The guy couldn't have NOT known that a car and chaffuer in return for services and influence rendered didn't have to be reported as gross income.

[Romulox]

89. A "mistake" cuts in ANYONE'S favor. A "cheat" always cuts in the CHEATER'S favor

Notice none of these tax cheats made a "mistake" that lead to them overpaying their taxes... :hi:

[MajorChode]

95. Now just how exactly would you know that?

If someone fails to take a deduction they are legally entitled to obtain, they would in fact be overpaying their taxes. If someone receives a W-2 or 1099 that reports more income than they received, they will probably be overpaying their taxes. However those problems may never be discovered by anyone.

So do you have some type of crystal ball that tells you Daschle (or anyone else) has never overpaid?

[Romulox]

103. Because I have access to the intenets, perhaps? Are you behind a news cycle or two?

:silly:

[MajorChode]

105. Then surely you must have a link that proves this, no?

A news report said that Daschle has never so much as once missed a deduction or overreported his income?

Wow, that must be some news source.

Or did you simply not comprehend what I wrote and/or decided to mouth off some nonsense to cover your overstatement?

[Romulox]

107. Box with your own shadow; Geitner and Daschle both admitted to cheating on their taxes

Maybe they helped an old lady cross the street last week. Doesn't matter; they've both admitted to being tax cheats.

[MajorChode]

108. Hogwash

Daschle admitted to a mistake and took responsibility for it. The translation to "tax cheat" can only be made by the illiterate or stupid.

[JFKfanforever]

111. The IMF made US tax reporting responsibilities very clear...

Geithner deliberately ignored this and pretended to have made
a mistake...
{bovine processed feed grains!}
He knew!  And now this guy is responsible for the IRS... Go
figure.  Change we CAN'T believe in!

[MajorChode]

113. Geithner and Daschle have completely different situations

The ignorance argument with Geithner doesn't go very far because he has a clear pattern of tax problems going back many years.

Daschle's problems include only two cases of underreported income which were a direct result of errant 1099s that were provided to him and the accuracy of which were beyond his control.

Had there not been so many problems with Geithner, Dascle's confirmation would likely have sailed through with nothing more than a few pouts from the pugs who are going to pout about everyone anyway. Daschle's problem was the sharks were already in the water.

[RBInMaine]

114. Taxes are complicated and handled by accountants. Oversights happen. ALL have been paid now.