I read this. It seems the NRA took advantage of opportunities in filing (leaving questions blank, and possible legal interpretation of questions other than the government intended, etc.)
Regardless, and although I’m not a fan of the NRA per se, I’d be willing to bet that what they did was legal, at worst successfully arguable in court. The NYP was given help on this ‘report’ - likely from the government and/or DNC. This is just a preemptive bow shot to the NRA in its run up to combat the tyrants coming gun-taking edicts.
One could only hope the NYP goes after the Clinton Foundation with such journalistic integrity.
I wonder who leaked their tax filings. If the government wants you they can get you.
So many laws, tax code so complicated.
Surviving the ride is a lot harder,some times then beating the prosecution.
/echo. Don't they know that the NRA has guns and ammo?
An enrolled agent told me he gets paid to work in the grey areas. A wage earner usually has pretty cut & dried taxes - a W2, some interest income, maybe a mutual fund. A business does not live in a cut & dried world. There are a lot of areas open to interpretation, and a good tax professional will interpret things in favor of his client.
That is NOT cheating. Cheating is refusing to report something. But when the IRS rules cannot define “Is it A or B?”, then it is right for a tax preparer to decide A or B based on what works best for his client. It is not the fault of the business or the preparer if the IRS has does not have clear rules.
If all you have is a W2, then anyone can tell you precisely how much tax you owe. But in a business, NO ONE call say with certainty what the “right answer” is. As with many things in the law, the “real answer” is the one the judge you are in front of gives on a given day, which may not be the same as the judge in the next county gives, or even what that judge would say on a different day.
When the rules are so complex that no one knows how to obey them, it is time for an overhaul.