Free Republic

In the Matter of Blair S. Bindley, OTA Case No. 18032402 (May 30, 2019), a sole proprietor performed all of his services outside of California, but some of his customers were in California. Is that enough for the poor guy to attract California tax liability? The California taxing authorities said he was operating a "unitary" business. Therefore, his tiny business was subject to California's apportionment rules. The FTB would not budge, so Mr. Bindley went over their head to the state’s Office of Tax Appeals (OTA), but it agreed with the FTB. This case has precedential effect, so it is...

In his State of the State address in January, Gov. Jerry Brown proudly proclaimed that, “Two years ago, they were writing our obituary. Well it didn’t happen. California is back, its budget is balanced, and we are on the move.” …Which is interesting, because the January unemployment numbers just came in, and California is apparently competing with Rhode Island for the worst state unemployment rate in the country. (SNIP) .... the wealthy coasts and the tech industry are helping to keep everything propped up — but it seems that the progressive state just can’t resist taking a little off the...

It's the Holy Grail of reformers and politicians, a seemingly oxymoronic two-word phrase that prompts cynics to sneer and fans the faint hopes of taxpayers: "Government efficiency." From the outset of his administration in fall 2003, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's rhetorical arsenal has consistently featured calls for making California's government leaner, more responsive and more citizen-friendly. ...California's tax collection system has evolved as the state has added taxes to its revenue base.... An amendment in the 1879 state constitution created the Board of Equalization (BOE). Its four elected members (plus the state controller) were charged with "equalizing" property assessments. In the...

A storm is brewing. It has the potential to utterly destroy the Republican Party. For years, under both Democrat and Republican administrations, American citizens -- cornerstones of their communities -- have been falsely charged and railroaded into prisons. Their lives have been ruined. Their families have been shattered. It has all been because of accusations and sham trials that belong in Communist China, not the United States of America. We're talking about the decades of abuses committed by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). We're talking about the _continuing_ abuses that are ruining innocent gun owners and...

SACRAMENTO — Got a neighbor bragging about using the Nevada address of his weekend ski condo to avoid paying California taxes? State tax authorities want you to rat him out. And soon they may be able to make it worth your while. The Franchise Tax Board, California's version of the IRS, is proposing to offer snitches cash rewards for stepping forward. Under the plan, which is part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposed budget, tax officials would give confidential informants as much as 10% of the unpaid taxes collected from their neighbors, bosses, spouses or any other scofflaws they report. It...