Romanian witches avoid curse of taxes

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Romanian witches avoid curse of taxes

Monday, September 13, 2010

Double, double toil and trouble;
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble.

Macbeth Act 4, scene 1

OK, the witches who recently faced potential taxation were Romanian, not Scottish.

But Romania's sorceresses escaped a new tax because lawmakers in that eastern European country apparently were worried that a similar incantation (the Shakespearean version does include "wool of bat") might conjure up all sorts of trouble.

That's right. Romania's Senate rejected a proposed revenue raiser that would have required the country's witches and fortune tellers to produce receipts, as well as be held liable for wrong predictions, because legislators feared they would be cursed if it was enacted.

One well-known witch told Romanian TV that taxing the country's thousands of fortune tellers and witches would be hard partly because their income is erratic.

There was no word on whether the fortune tellers had any insight as to whether the bill would be reintroduced.

Hat tip: TaxProf Blog

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Posted on Monday, September 13, 2010 at 08:22 AM in Global, Humor, Taxes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: curse, fortune tellers, Romania, taxes, witches

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Hurricane season heating up: Prepare now! — Hurricane season 2020 got off to an early start and as July arrives, it's picking up steam. Hurricane Isaias, the earliest "I" name since 2005, could affect Florida and North Carolina. Time to prepare! (July 31, 2020)
Check out all the latest post-Tax Day tax advice in the 2020 edition of Weekly Tax Tips. Many of these once-a-week tips will focus on planning moves to cut your 2020 tax bill.
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This Coronavirus (COVID-19) & Taxes page has details.

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The Dog Days of August are here!

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That usually means being like the pup above and taking it easy during these hot, sultry days as summer winds down. 2020, however, is not a usual year, tax or otherwise. So instead of dogging it this August, let's get to making some potentially money-saving tax moves.

Aug. 1: If when you filed your tax return back on the COVID-19 delayed July 15 Tax Day, you were surprised by either the size o f your refund or how much you owed, now's the time to make sure that doesn't happen next year. A paycheck check-up can help you determine whether you need to adjust your withholding.

Aug. 3: If, however, you are among the millions who lost your job, either as a short term layoff or permanently, due to the economic chaos caused by the coronavirus pandemic, you also have some tax considerations. The main one involves any unemployment benefits you receive. This government support is taxable income, usually due as estimated tax payments. The next one's not due until next month, but with money tight, you need to start thinking now how you'll pay it.

Aug. 7-9: The coronavirus threat has left the start of some schools in limbo. Sixteen states, however, scheduled back-to-school state sales tax holidays this summer. The bulk of them are this weekend: Florida (Aug. 7-9), Iowa (Aug. 7-8), Missouri (Aug. 7-9), New Mexico (Aug. 7-9), Ohio (Aug. 7-9), Oklahoma (Aug. 7-9), South Carolina (Aug. 7-9), Texas (Aug. 7-9) and Virginia (Aug. 7-9).

Tennessee is trying to spur food sales with its Aug.7-9 tax holiday by waiving collection of the levy on food and drink sold by restaurants. And Maryland's weeklong tax-free event starts this Sunday, Aug. 9, and runs through Saturday, Aug. 15.

Connecticut's holiday starts Aug. 16-22, with Massachusetts closing out the summer sales tax holidays the last week of the month, Aug. 29-30.

July 10: Most restaurants across the country closed earlier this year due to COVID-19. Some opened, then reclosed as the virus resurged. And many eateries simply stuck with take-out meals and deliveries. Whether you're able to dine in or still getting food brought to your house, remember to tip your server or delivery person.

If a tip isn't included in your food delivery charge, click the image above to calculate how much to tip the person who brought it to you.

As for servers who now are back on the job, remember that your tips are taxable income. If you worked at least some of June at a job where you got gratuities, you need to account for them today if they came to at least $20 last month. Use Form 4070 to report your tips today to your employer.

Aug. 18: We're entering the heart of the Atlantic hurricane season. If you haven't already done your storm prep, do it. Now.

Uncle Sam's official forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) expect 2020 to bring as many as 19 named storms, with six to eight possibly becoming hurricanes. Three to six could reach major status, which is category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher. Regardless of the count, it only takes one to wreak havoc. The countdown clock below can help you keep track of how many more days you have to worry about tracking any size or type of tropical storms.

You also might want to check out the ol' blog's special Storm Warnings.
These multi-page collections of posts offer tax advice on preparing for, recovering from and helping those who sustain damages from the many ways that that weather goes wild.

Aug. 26: It's been six weeks since Tax Day. If you opted to file Form 4868 to get an extension, there's no need to wait until that Oct. 15 due date to complete your 1040. The Internal Revenue Service will gladly take your tax return before then. And if you qualify, Free File, the IRS/tax software industry partnership that offers eligible taxpayers access to online tax preparation programs and federal return e-filing at no cost, is still available.

This year 10 software companies are participating at IRS.gov's Free File webpage. It's available for taxpayers with adjusted gross income of $69,000 or less regardless of filing status. If you make too much to use the online software, look into using Free File's fillable forms.

Aug. 31: Wow, this month went by quickly! Before it wraps up, take another look at your finances. If you've got a few bucks to spare, consider giving to those who aren't in such good shape. It'll make you feel good and this year there's an expanded tax break for cash donations even if you claim the standard deduction. The write off is a new above-the-line deduction for cash donations of up to $300.

Small Business Tax Calendar: Important filing, deposit and record keeping dates throughout the year that your company needs to know. You can get more tax calendar information at the IRS' online calendar page and view the full year's important business and individual tax dates in IRS Pub. 509.

State Tax Help

Don't forget your state taxes!
Forty-three states and D.C. collect personal income taxes. But even if you live in of the seven states without an income levy, you still face other state (and local) taxes.

State Tax Departments provides links to your state's Web page. The companion page, Tax Tidbits, is the compilation of blurbs about each state's tax laws. And for more state tax news, check out all our state tax bloggings.

Tax Forms

Thanks to our increased use of tax preparers and computer software, many of us don't see our tax forms until we sign and file them. But knowing what's on these documents, either in paper or digital form, and why the IRS wants it is key to understanding our tax system. And knowledge definitely is power, especially when it comes to tax savings. Find this valuable information in the ol' blog's special Tax Form Tuesday page.

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Do you get lost doing your taxes? Check out the Taxpayer Advocate Service's Taxpayer Roadmap.

This publication, designed along the lines of a subway map, shows the many routes and detours of a taxpayer's journey through our elaborate Internal Revenue Code and the Internal Revenue Service's enforcement of our tax collection system.

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