Free Republic

Taxes: The Senate hasn't passed a budget in over a thousand days, yet it has time to consider one member's bill to make the no-growth logic of the administration's favorite billionaire the law of the land. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democrat from the state ranking among the highest in foreclosures and unemployment, would prefer leaving the ship of state to drift rudderlessly. "We do not need to bring a budget to the floor this year — it's done, we don't need to do it," Reid told reporters Friday. Reid's idea of getting things done is punting to a supercommittee...

As a general matter, retroactive tax hikes are bad tax policy and even worse governance. There's a reason the Founding Fathers put a prohibition on "ex post facto" laws in the Constitution. When it comes to taxes, it's not fair for employers and families to comply with the tax code only to find that the rules then changed after the fact, and after it's too late to do anything about your original choice. It's "heads I win, tails you lose" government at its worst. Yet that is precisely what Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) is proposing to do...

We're sure there will be those who read this post and blame the messenger, yours truly. But we’re just passing along a suggestion from a reader. Here goes: “…here is a fair idea for all us tax payers. In the investing world, shareholders get 1 vote for each share they own. . ."

President Obama is now campaigning all of the country in the name of “fairness” especially how it relates to the US Tax Code. According to President Obama, “fair” means a progressive tax (where as one makes more money, they pay a higher percentage in taxes). What he’s trying to do through his “fairness” campaign is make the progressive tax more progressive by increasing tax rates on those that have higher incomes. According to the Obama administration, it is more “fair,” to raise taxes on the rich. I’m here to tell you that this isn’t true. Of course all of that...

The state of the world is undoubtedly disturbing. Our President has proposed that the Federal Government become involved in mortgages, the United Nations is considering more foreign adventures, and Europeans are still attempting to prevent Greece from defaulting on its crushing debt from decades of socialist policies. Many wonder, “How did we (the West) get here?” True, most European nations have never been what the United States was at its founding. But, it is not only Europe that has strayed far. The United States is among the worst, considering the basic principles of the Founders. So, how did we get...

So you think you got a payroll-tax holiday for free? Think that the big fat-cat mortgage lenders will foot the bill as part of Obama’s promise to make the cut pay for itself? CBS’ Sharyl Attkisson delivers the wake-up call to home buyers, who will pay a pretty penny for the latest gimmick of Obamanomics:CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO Guess what? The fees collected won’t even cover the loss to the Social Security fund. It’s going into the general fund instead. Meanwhile, the Obama administration says to quit whining and suck it up so that we can recapitalize the...

- If you haven't filed your tax return yet, someone may have filed it for you. The federal government has stepped up efforts to get between identity thieves and their latest targets: fat tax refunds. Last week, the Internal Revenue Service announced that 105 people in 23 states had been targeted as part of a national identity theft crackdown involving the potential theft of thousands of identities and taxpayer refunds. At one IRS office in Florida, at least a dozen tax filers said they spent hours in line to report someone had already filed their returns - with the tax...

Letter, new form reminding taxpayers of their obligation Wisconsin taxpayers could find themselves digging through more receipts than usual this tax season as the state Department of Revenue makes another effort to collect taxes on out-of-state purchases. In a letter, the department is asking taxpayers to look through their records from 2007 to 2010 to find any taxes on out-of-state purchases that may have been overlooked and send in payments by Feb. 17. "The real mission is to help make sure (taxpayers) understand tax law and to remind taxpayers about their responsibility to pay the use tax," said Jennifer Western,...

Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley may be more skilled at implementing President Obama’s agenda than the White House itself. The Democratic governor is bringing the same big-spending, high-tax and class-warfare policies to the Free State. It’s going to cost residents a bundle. Tough economic times have forced ordinary Americans to cut back in order to get by. Not so Mr. O’Malley, who spends $35.9 billion in the budget released last month. That’s up from $34.2 billion last year and $32 billion the year before that. As Maryland Business for Responsive Government points out, the general fund budget fattened 11.4 percent last...

From Mitt Romney to Warren Buffett, people are clamoring for fairer taxes. But thanks to yet another lapse by our lawmakers in Washington, more than 20 million taxpayers may pay a tax that was originally designed to hit only the ultra-rich -- and the increase could cost you as much as $8,000. When it was first designed, the alternative minimum tax, or AMT, was meant to make taxes more fair. The idea behind the AMT was to make sure that rich people didn't use deductions to zero out their taxes every year. Because of inflation, though, the AMT threatens to...

On the surface, the Komen Foundation's reversal of its Planned Parenthood grant cut-off shows the left's power to enforce conformity. What it really reveals is that Planned Parenthood doesn't need taxpayer support.

Obama's erroneous interpretation of Luke 12:48, which drew a rebuke from Sen. Orrin Hatch (over the invoking of the scripture not the interpretation of it) now opens up the door for ALL elected officials to talk about Jesus and how His words apply to political positions or policies on a host of issues, be it tax policy, marriage, the sanctity of life, abortion etc. while some already have done this... You see, others have talked about "God" and "my faith dictates that I do this or that" but never has anyone went so far as to invoke Jesus' name in...

I’m a huge fan of lotteries. It is one of the few taxes that citizens pay willingly. Spending a dollar for the prospect of winning a hundred million is kind of fun. And the fact that the state’s provide the fig leaf of responsibility by suggesting all funds go to support education makes players feel like they are doing their part to support the kids… Imagine, a way of taxing people that is actually voluntary! Unfortunately however, most taxes are anything but voluntary, particularly those levied by the federal government. In 2011 the federal government took in $2.3 trillion in...

Tax questions are among the most commonly polled issues by America’s opinion survey industry. It is important that conservatives use this positive tax polling data to our advantage, since the American people are generally supportive of the conservative message on taxes. "Do you favor or oppose completely eliminating the estate tax, that is, the tax on property left by people who die?" When the Kaiser Family Foundation, National Public Radio and Harvard University asked about the "death tax," 60% favored eliminating it; 54% favored eliminating the tax when it was called the "estate tax" in another question on the same...

Do I agree with Obama's interpretation of Luke 12:48? No. Do I agree with Obama in his 2004 interview "I have a deep faith" in which he said that there many paths to heaven/the Father and his words which were contrary to Jesus saying He is the "Way, Truth, Life...no man comes unto the Father but by me." Absolutely not. Do I agree with Mormon teaching that Jesus and Satan are brothers? Again, absolutely not. (link below in comments section.) The point of the this thread is to point out that Orrin Hatch was wrong. In fact, I believe that...

< snip > ..... If Republicans have an opening this year, it is with the white working class, a crowd the Democratic Party has been hemorrhaging for decades. Barack Obama did better than John Kerry or Al Gore with these voters, though even he earned just 43% of their vote. ..... < snip > ..... The white working class will make up as much as 55% of the vote in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. ..... < snip > ..... And so at the heart of the Santorum agenda are policies designed to give special handouts to the working class,...

Obama: Jesus would tax the rich By: Jennifer Epstein February 2, 2012 10:12 AM EST President Barack Obama tied his proposal to raise taxes on wealthy Americans to his faith on Thursday, telling leaders gathered for the National Prayer Breakfast that Jesus’ teachings have led him to that conclusion. The rich pay more not only because “I actually think that is going to make economic sense, but for me as a Christian, it also coincides with Jesus’s teaching that ‘for unto whom much is given, much shall be required.’” Obama said at the Washington Hilton, delivering remarks at an annual...

One of Mitt Romney's fundraising "bundlers" works as a lobbyist for the Green energy firm Ener1, which became a flash point for Republicans last week after it filed for bankruptcy three years after receiving a $118.5 million grant from the Obama administration...

The Senate has confirmed our fears and on Thursday they will be proposing a new tax on Internet purchases. During a full-fledged recession, leave it to the Florida Legislature to propose a new tax - and one that they have questionable constitutional authority to enact.On Thursday morning the Senate Subcommittee on Finance and Tax, chaired by Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff, will propose SB 7206 for consideration. This bill would institute a new sales tax on Internet purchases if the retailer uses affiliates or referrals in the state. This bill aims to tax transactions by companies like Amazon, and has been proposed...

WASHINGTON — Democratic senators introduced a bill Wednesday based on President Barack Obama's proposed "Buffett rule" that would require the wealthiest Americans to pay at least 30% in taxes. The legislation introduced Wednesday by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D., R.I.) would ensure that anyone earning more than $2 million in income each year, including from capital gains, would pay a minimum 30% federal tax rate, Mr. Whitehouse said on the Senate floor Wednesday morning. Wealthy taxpayers who face a tax rate above 30% would still pay the higher rate. Democratic Sens. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, Mark Begich of Alaska, Patrick Leahy...