Category: TAXES

The League of Cities: The Mafia of Cities

Your Property Taxes Are Being Used to Promote Raising Your Property Taxes and people are getting rich doing it.– YNOT! There is a special kind of government magic trick where they take your money, spend your money, waste your money, and then use what is left of your money to convince you that they need more of your money. That, my friends, is not public service. That is organized government self-preservation. And in Florida, one of the groups sitting in the middle of this little circus is the Florida League of Cities — a nonprofit organization that represents hundreds of … Continue readingThe League of Cities: The Mafia of Cities

Take All the Money… And Then What? The Day after tomorrow?

You can confiscate wealth once. But prosperity only survives when someone still knows how to create it tomorrow. –YNOT! Every few years, somebody rediscovers the same magical idea: “If we just take all the rich people’s money, all our problems disappear.” It sounds wonderful right up until mathematics shows up. The entire federal government now spends around seven trillion dollars a year. That is not “a lot of money.” That is civilization-scale money. That is an empire consuming mountains of cash every sunrise before breakfast. So people point at billionaires. “Take it all!” Fine. Let’s play the game. Take … Continue readingTake All the Money… And Then What? The Day after tomorrow?

What Happens When the Government Taxes You for Leaving?

The Escape from New York Tax is coming…. — YNOT! They always say the new tax is only for the rich. That’s how the hook gets baited. Twenty years later, the middle class is paying the bill and wondering how they got caught in the net. There’s an old trick governments use when they run out of money. First, they tax success. Then they tax the movement. Then eventually they tax escape itself.  Five states have already built versions of what amounts to an “exit tax” on people trying to leave. Six more are studying the blueprint like a … Continue readingWhat Happens When the Government Taxes You for Leaving?

Why do people wait until tax season to think about taxes? Start now!

Most folks treat taxes like a storm that sneaks up on them every April. The smart ones know the weather starts changing in January. — YNOT! Why do people act surprised by taxes every April like the government just pulled up in a ski mask and stole the hubcaps off the family car? Your taxes are done. You survived. You signed the forms, muttered a few words not fit for church, and now you want to forget the whole business until next spring. That is understandable. It is also exactly how people stay broke. Because here is the part … Continue readingWhy do people wait until tax season to think about taxes? Start now!

TAXES FACT CHECK

I’m accused many times of only fact-checking things from the left. Well, I’m going to fact-check something from the left and the right. Bernie Sanders’ statement and a Turning Point meme. Let’s see who’s telling the truth. The image is a political meme contrasting a quote from Bernie Sanders (“The wealthiest in this country do not pay their fair share!”) with a counter-claim: “Actually… the highest 10% of earners pay 90% of all taxes in America.”Fact Check Summary Bernie Sanders’ quote — This is a real, frequently repeated statement by Sanders, reflecting his long-standing view on income/wealth inequality and … Continue readingTAXES FACT CHECK

What Kind of Law Are You Really Breaking?

“Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.” — Jesus Laws are a funny thing. People talk about “the law” like it is one big solid brick, dropped from heaven, stamped by Congress, and signed by a judge with a bad attitude. But that is not how life works. There are many kinds of law, and they do not always agree with each other. That is where the trouble begins. A simple way to sort them is this. Some laws stand above man: natural law, divine law, moral law. Some are … Continue readingWhat Kind of Law Are You Really Breaking?

The Great Tax Mirage: When Half-Truths Dress Up as Freedom

“The government calls it revenue. The citizen calls it what’s left of his paycheck but if you don’t pay it you could have free room and board”–YNOT! Every year around tax time, somebody rediscovers an old American temptation. It usually arrives wearing a suit, carrying a stack of documents, and speaking with the confidence of a man who sounds as if he has seen behind the curtain. He tells the weary taxpayer what every overworked citizen wants to hear: that the whole thing is a fraud, that the income tax is not really mandatory, that the government has been … Continue readingThe Great Tax Mirage: When Half-Truths Dress Up as Freedom

Are Billionaires Fleeing California — Or Is This Just the Sound of Incentives Working?

“Tax wealth if you want — but remember, money doesn’t argue with policy. It packs its bags, hires a lawyer, and moves to where the math makes sense.” –YNOT! Let’s be honest. Nobody packs up a billion dollars in a U-Haul because of the weather. When a billionaire relocates, it’s not about palm trees versus redwoods. It’s about math. It’s about incentives. And incentives don’t care about political speeches. California built an economic empire on innovation, capital gains, and the promise that if you create something extraordinary, you can keep enough of it to make it worth the risk. … Continue readingAre Billionaires Fleeing California — Or Is This Just the Sound of Incentives Working?

Why Are Politicians Afraid of Lower Property Taxes and What Happens When the Automatic 4% Government Raise Disappears?

“When the automatic 4% disappears, you find out who was managing — and who was just spending.” — YNOT! Why do politicians get nervous the moment someone says, “Let’s cut property taxes”? You’d think someone threatened oxygen. Here’s the quiet machinery most people never see. A department gets a budget line. Next year? It automatically goes up. Four percent. Maybe five. Doesn’t matter if the need increased. Doesn’t matter if efficiency improved. It just… grows. And if there’s money left in the last quarter? You spend it. New desks. Extra studies. Emergency upgrades that somehow weren’t emergencies in March. Because if … Continue readingWhy Are Politicians Afraid of Lower Property Taxes and What Happens When the Automatic 4% Government Raise Disappears?

THE DEBT GAME: HOW THE WEALTHY DODGE THE TAXMAN UNTIL THE VERY END

Debt turns your wealth into spendable money and leaves the IRS waving from shore. That’s the system — get over it and learn to play the game. — Some guy on yacht somewhere. Most folks go through life believing the financial system is like gravity — it pulls on everyone the same way. But once you get close enough to the engine room, you learn a funny little truth: there are two sets of rules. One for people who work for money… and one for the people who figured out it’s easier to let money work for them. And … Continue readingTHE DEBT GAME: HOW THE WEALTHY DODGE THE TAXMAN UNTIL THE VERY END

How to Lose a Customer Before You Say Hello

You know, folks love to argue about the Cybertruck—whether it’s genius or junk, spacecraft or stainless-steel headache. But that’s not even the point. The real comedy starts when the home-remodeling guy rolls up to your house in one of those things. Because the moment he steps out looking like he’s here to deliver drywall and colonize Mars, every normal customer has the same quiet thought: “Well… I guess I’m about to pay for that.” That’s the trouble with driving your dream around town when your job depends on other people’s checkbooks. It’s like wearing a diamond watch to ask … Continue readingHow to Lose a Customer Before You Say Hello

Why Your Ears Burn When You Do Taxes

A friend of mine is studying to be an accountant. I found her yesterday pulling her hair out, tangled up in the United States tax system. She asked me for help, so I said, “It’s easy, I’ve been doing taxes for decades.” But the moment I began explaining, I realized this wasn’t going to be a quick lesson—it was going to be a whole sermon. Ten minutes later, I could practically see smoke curling out of her ears. She finally asked the question every sane person asks: “Why is all this necessary?” And I gave her the truth: It … Continue readingWhy Your Ears Burn When You Do Taxes

The Largest Bank of Dirty Money and too big to fail – UBS

🎩When I was a boy, the only thing more secure than a Swiss bank vault was the idea that your secrets died with the banker. Folks would say you could tell a priest your sins, but tell a Swiss banker your fortune. One gave you forgiveness, the other gave you silence. But somewhere along the way, the line between privacy and complicity got blurred — and what was once a fortress of discretion became a hideout for scoundrels, tyrants, and tax cheats. Now ain’t that just human nature? Turn anything good into a loophole, and call it freedom. If … Continue readingThe Largest Bank of Dirty Money and too big to fail – UBS

🏡 Why Real Estate Is a Great Investment to Avoid Taxes

If the government taxed the air, I reckon we’d all be holding our breath by now. But since they haven’t figured out how to meter that just yet, they’ll settle for taxing your sweat, your savings, and anything that dares to grow in value—including your humble little home.   That’s where real estate comes in. It’s one of the few places where the system tips in favor of the folks who read the rules instead of just signing the checks. The wealthy don’t dodge taxes by hiding—no sir—they dodge them by investing smart and letting the tax code work … Continue reading🏡 Why Real Estate Is a Great Investment to Avoid Taxes

🎯 Florida Residents Get More Time for Taxes and IRA Contributions in 2025

BEG, BORROW OR STEAL – GET SOME MONEY INTO YOUR IRAs In a rare but welcome move, the IRS has granted all Florida residents an automatic extension on their federal income tax filings and payments due to the statewide impacts of Hurricanes Milton, Helene, and Debby. If you’re living in the Sunshine State, mark your calendar: you now have until May 1, 2025, to file your federal tax return and make IRA contributions for the 2024 tax year. ⏳ New Deadlines at a Glance Item Original Deadline New Extended Deadline Federal Income Tax Return April 15, 2025 May 1, … Continue reading🎯 Florida Residents Get More Time for Taxes and IRA Contributions in 2025

Stop Overpaying Your Taxes: A Simple Guide to Keeping More of What You Earn

April 15th is Coming… Do You Know where your Taxes Are? Let me give you some financial advice. If anything you’re about to read is new to you—and your accountant hasn’t discussed it with you—you might need a new accountant. (see disclaimer on bottom) Taxes aren’t just an annual chore. They’re one of your biggest expenses. Often 20% to 40% of your income is siphoned off before you ever see it. You cannot build wealth or retire comfortably if you’re blindly handing your money to the government. Don’t complain about the rich paying too little. If you are paying too … Continue readingStop Overpaying Your Taxes: A Simple Guide to Keeping More of What You Earn

Income vs. Net Worth: The Real Game of Wealth and Taxes

Most folks spend their lives chasing income, believing that the more they make, the richer they’ll be. But the ultra-wealthy play a different game altogether. They don’t chase income; they build net worth. And the best part? They do it while sidestepping the tax bill that weighs down the rest of us. Take Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, or Donald Trump—billionaires who can legally pay little to no income taxes. How? They don’t have taxable income in the way most people do. Instead of earning wages, they let their assets grow unrealized—avoiding taxes while still living like kings. Income vs. … Continue readingIncome vs. Net Worth: The Real Game of Wealth and Taxes

I dream of Jeanie, the lotto, and early retirement

The American Dream and Other Fantasies Back in the days when people had time to sit on porches and spin tall tales, there was always that one fella who claimed he’d figured out the secret to getting rich. Usually, his plan involved either a magic lamp, an inheritance from a mysterious uncle in the Old World, or—more commonly—winning the lottery. As history has shown, most of these plans had about as much substance as a politician’s promise. Yet, here we are, still dreaming of easy riches, of a life spent in leisure rather than in the daily grind. We … Continue readingI dream of Jeanie, the lotto, and early retirement

Your Own Business – The American Dream – and TAXES

As I lean back in me chair, and tell you that the only things certain in life are death, taxes, and the never-ending itch of a man wanting to be his own boss, most people know what I am going to tell you but will never do anything about it. The land of opportunity has always been fertile ground for the ambitious, the risk-takers, and the downright stubborn. No one ever got rich working for someone else—well, except maybe in Silicon Valley, but we’ll get to that later. It’s the great American Dream, after all. Many dream of owning … Continue readingYour Own Business – The American Dream – and TAXES