For senators, tax questions are taxing

[babylonsister]

For senators, tax questions are taxing
By POLITICO STAFF | 2/11/09


When Timothy Geithner appeared before the Senate Finance Committee last month, Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) accused the soon-to-be treasury secretary of “dancing around” questions about his taxes.

When news broke that Tom Daschle had failed to pay taxes due on a car and driver, Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) declared himself “very troubled by it.”

But neither Kyl nor Cornyn seems interested in answering questions about his own tax history.

They’re hardly alone.

Last week, Politico asked the offices of all 99 sitting senators to say who prepares their taxes, whether they or the Internal Revenue Service has ever discovered an error on returns they’ve filed, and whether they’ve ever had to pay back taxes.

Of the 57 senators who have responded to the survey, nine said that mistakes have been made on their tax returns, and seven said they have paid back taxes. Thirty-one senators said that no mistakes have been discovered on their returns and that they’ve never paid back taxes — at least to the best of their recollection.

The offices of two senators — Jim Webb (D-Va.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) — told Politico that they would not answer the survey questions. The offices of Kyl and 41 other senators — 17 Republicans, 23 Democrats and Joseph I. Lieberman (I-Conn.) — failed to respond at all.

more...

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18696.html

[Earth Bound Misfit]

1. Did you see "Survey: Some senators admit tax errors"

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0209/18512.html

SEN. LAMAR ALEXANDER (R-Tenn.)
Do you prepare your own taxes? Declined to answer.
If not, who does? Declined to answer.
Have you or the IRS ever discovered an error on a tax return you've filed? Declined to answer.
Have you ever paid back taxes? Declined to answer.
If the answer to either 3 or 4 is yes, please explain.
Declined to answer.

NOTE: Alexander’s office referred Politico "to the financial disclosure information which is publicly available," adding that the senator "has made a full financial disclosure every year in elective office."

SEN. JOHN BARRASSO (R-Wyo.)
Do you prepare your own taxes? Declined to answer.
If not, who does? Declined to answer.
Have you or the IRS ever discovered an error on a tax return you've filed? Declined to answer.
Have you ever paid back taxes? Declined to answer.
If the answer to either 3 or 4 is yes, please explain.
Declined to answer.

NOTE: Barrasso's office referred Politico to "the Senator's public financial disclosure forms."

SEN. BOB BENNETT (R-Utah)
Do you prepare your own taxes? Declined to answer.
If not, who does? Declined to answer
Have you or the IRS ever discovered an error on a tax return you've filed? Declined to answer.
Have you ever paid back taxes? Declined to answer.
If the answer to either 3 or 4 is yes, please explain.
Declined to answer.

NOTE: Bennett’s office referred Politico to "the senator's public financial disclosure forms that every member is required to complete."

SEN. SAM BROWNBACK (R-Kan.)
Do you prepare your own taxes? No.
If not, who does? Accounting firm in Kansas.
Have you or the IRS ever discovered an error on a tax return you’ve filed? Pending.
Have you ever paid back taxes? Pending.
If the answer to either 3 or 4 is yes, please explain.
Pending.

NOTE: Brownback's office told Politico the senator's accountant was researching the remaining answers.

SEN. JIM BUNNING (R-Ky.)
Do you prepare your own taxes? Declined to answer.
If not, who does? Declined to answer.
Have you or the IRS ever discovered an error on a tax return you’ve filed? Declined to answer.
Have you ever paid back taxes? Declined to answer
If the answer to either 3 or 4 is yes, please explain.
Declined to answer.

NOTE: Bunning’s office referred Politico "to the senator's financial disclosure forms, which are public."


SEN. RICHARD BURR (R-N.C.)
Do you prepare your own taxes? No.
If not, who does? One of the top 5 accounting firms.
Have you or the IRS ever discovered an error on a tax return you’ve filed? Declined to answer.
Have you ever paid back taxes? Declined to answer.
If the answer to either 3 or 4 is yes, please explain.
Declined to answer.

NOTE: Regarding the other questions, Burr's office said, "We're going to refer you to the Senator's financial disclosure forms which are on file with the Senate."

SEN. JOHN CORNYN (R-Texas)
Do you prepare your own taxes? Declined to answer.
If not, who does? Declined to answer.
Have you or the IRS ever discovered an error on a tax return you’ve filed? Declined to anser.
Have you ever paid back taxes? Declined to answer.
If the answer to either 3 or 4 is yes, please explain.
Declined to answer.

NOTE: Cornyn's office referred Politico to "the public financial disclosure forms that every senator is required to complete, as well as the Texas state disclosure forms that Senator Cornyn has been filing since the mid-80s."

Notice a trend?