Category: News and Politics
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Our broken tax system
This isn’t the type of tax blog post that I normally write. But after decades of writing and over 2,000 tax-related posts, columns and other publications, I sense that our tax system is spinning out of control, pulling our nation into a death spiral. It is time to speak out. Almost three decades ago I…
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Legal requirements to release the tax returns of candidates for public office
In the aftermath of revelations about the president’s financial scandals, a number of states are moving forward with bills that would require all candidates for public office to release tax returns in order to be listed on the ballot. This blog post does not attempt to list the states, the bills or their status. We…
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Reframing the language of leadership: words that matter
Words supported by action matter more in leadership than anything else. Economics, money, tax policy and other topics often visited in this blog pale to the importance of the credible and meaningful words in our leadership conversations. We now face a critical choice defined by the words we choose to use in that public conversation.…
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When do I get my tax refund?
The IRS begins accepting tax returns and processing refunds next Tuesday January 29. I can prepare and submit your tax return for e-file acceptance before then but it essentially sits in an electronic waiting list until the 29th. See tonynovak.com/taxes for information on getting started with an early tax return filing. The first tax returns…
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At one month, panic is setting in as we learn what government shutdown really means
The federal government shutdown is affecting an increasing number of my small business and individual clients in ways we never expected or anticipated. All indications are that these problems will get worse before the situation gets better. I am scheduling calls this week to address contingency and emergency plans with those most affected. I don’t…
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Tax fraud case with the highest implications
A high profile multi-million dollar international tax fraud case (Unites States vs. Natalia Veselnitskaya 18 CRIM 904) took a dark turn last week then a sealed indictment by federal prosecutors was revealed to the public. To be clear, this tax fraud case does not involve anyone in U.S. government. Yet this case brought special attention because…
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Enough with the immigration lies
Introduction: My background with immigration is working with construction, agricultural and fisheries businesses in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Pennsylvania that use immigrants for the majority of their work force. I know dozens of these workers who came here legally on work visas and are still waiting for their extension paperwork. Ironically, some of them…
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Support for NJ minimum wage bill
Update: Thanks to all who supported this effort over the last several years. The $15 minimum wage proposal is now law in New Jersey. I took time this morning to write to the nine members of the NJ Assembly Labor Committee plus our own two Assemblymen and a local Chamber of Commerce that opposes the…
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Why are so many paying higher income taxes this year?
65% of taxpayers will pay less federal income tax in 2018. Only 6.5% will pay more (1). This isn’t news. We’ve known for months and had reliable sources of data to back this up. The problem is that many of the people in this 6.5% don’t seem to know. That means that they did they…
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The nation’s most shocking midterm election result: NJ2
I’m proud that our Money Island marina community has become a model of racial and cultural inclusion just a few miles from a south Jersey KKK stronghold. Yet tonight’s election result shows that we still have a long way to go before we stamp out discrimination from this community. The most shocking election result in…