Topic: Have/Do you ever cheat on taxes?
started by: TheCatt
Posted by TheCatt on Mar. 05 2016,08:46
Just curious....
Posted by TPRJones on Mar. 05 2016,09:26
When I find a loophole I use it. My capital investments aren't a big percentage of my income but they do provide the occasional opportunity here and there to shave some off the totals.
Posted by Malcolm on Mar. 05 2016,09:49
Anything you can get away with on taxes isn't cheating.cheating = illegal/forbidden action that causes a disciplinary reaction
not cheating = everything else
Any time I have a question about where to draw that line, I look at charts like this ...
... and conclude the gov't can go fuck itself.
Posted by TheCatt on Mar. 05 2016,10:32
I have friends who will fill out their taxes with multiple software packages, then take whichever gives them the biggest return. Interestingly enough, the tax code is pretty deterministic about these people's situations... it's interesting to see how many of the software packages therefore must have bugs.Years ago I accidentally mis-reported some Schedule D stuff (cap gains), so I cheated the government, but it was a mistake I didn't realize until a year later.
Currently, I own a business, and so there are some things I do that are probably grey. I feel like I could defend them well enough (more likely than not to be valid), but also feel there's a chance the IRS would say no if they audited me.
Posted by GORDON on Mar. 05 2016,15:23
There are a few things you can deduct that the IRS does not require proof for, until a certain level, and there are some excuses they will accept if they catch you in certain other things that also do not require proof.So, hell yes.
Theoretically. I of course say this just to encourage conversation because I would never cheat on my taxes because that is bad and wrong. It's b'd'ong.
Posted by TheCatt on Mar. 05 2016,16:11
(GORDON @ Mar. 05 2016,18:23)
QUOTE
There are a few things you can deduct that the IRS does not require proof for, until a certain level, and there are some excuses they will accept if they catch you in certain other things that also do not require proof.
Now my curiosity is itching...
Posted by GORDON on Mar. 05 2016,18:16
Charitable donations, for example. I believe the limit is $500, without needing receipts. And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
Posted by Malcolm on Mar. 06 2016,10:27
(GORDON @ Mar. 05 2016,20:16)
QUOTE
Charitable donations, for example. I believe the limit is $500, without needing receipts.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
That's not cheating, that's an accepted lie with no repercussions.
Posted by GORDON on Mar. 06 2016,11:29
(Malcolm @ Mar. 06 2016,13:27)
QUOTE
(GORDON @ Mar. 05 2016,20:16)
QUOTE
Charitable donations, for example. I believe the limit is $500, without needing receipts.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
That's not cheating, that's an accepted lie with no repercussions.
Well then I'd change my answer, but it all seems to be the same level of illegality no matter what you call it.
Posted by Alhazad on Mar. 07 2016,09:28
(Malcolm @ Mar. 06 2016,10:27)
QUOTE
(GORDON @ Mar. 05 2016,20:16)
QUOTE
Charitable donations, for example. I believe the limit is $500, without needing receipts.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
That's not cheating, that's an accepted lie with no repercussions.
One assumes it gets noted on your file to catch habitual users.
Posted by Malcolm on Mar. 07 2016,09:32
(Alhazad @ Mar. 07 2016,11:28)
QUOTE
(Malcolm @ Mar. 06 2016,10:27)
QUOTE
(GORDON @ Mar. 05 2016,20:16)
QUOTE
Charitable donations, for example. I believe the limit is $500, without needing receipts.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
And apparently "all my records were on my smart phone and I lost them when it crashed" is an acceptable excuse for he IRS. I was told. By the IRS enrolled agent.
That's not cheating, that's an accepted lie with no repercussions.
One assumes it gets noted on your file to catch habitual users.
They generally don't send out auditors unless there's profit to be made.
Posted by TheCatt on Mar. 07 2016,10:33
If you make less than $200k, your odds are being audited are less than 1%.Auditing/staffing funding at the IRS is way down. Their computer system is ancient and can only catch the most obvious issues (mismatched 1099s or W2s, etc). There is no/little big data analysis there. They can't catch much.