Experts: Palin Owes $25,000 In Back Taxes

WSJ:

Several tax experts said they believe Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin is required to pay federal taxes on $25,000 in reimbursements from the state of Alaska for her children's travel expenses.

The Alaska governor released her 2006 and 2007 tax returns on Friday, sparking a lively debate on tax blogs and among tax professionals over whether reimbursements and per-diem meal payments from the state should be subject to federal taxes. Since taking office in December 2006, Gov. Palin, whose state salary is $125,000 a year, received reimbursements totaling $43,500 for travel and lodging for her family in connection with state business. Of that total, $25,000 was for her children's travel and the rest was for her husband, Todd, the Washington Post reported.

Read the whole story: WSJ

Comments

[ICANSEERUSSIA]

SORRY FOR YELLING BUT THE BLOOD IS ALREADY IN THE WATER! WE ALL NEED TO DIG BABY DIG! FIND ALL THE INFORMATION ON SARAH AND McCAIN, POST AND E-MAIL TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

DONT FORGET TO DONATE TO OBAMA, HE IS GONNA NEED EVERY PENNY HE CAN GET TO FIGHT THESE SMEARS IN THIS LAST STRETCH OF OCT.

DONT' TALK ABOUT IT BE ABOUT IT!

CLICK ON THIS LINK

https://donate.barackobama.com/page/contribute/main

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1iZD4S0HNs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDofbll86dY&eurl=http://www.americablog.com/2008/10/mccain-now-saying-keating-five-scandal.html?referer=sphere_related_content

VICTORY IS IN SIGHT!!!!!­!!!!!!!!!!­!

[truthyguy]

"Well, lookie here. This is just a 'nother left wing conspiracy ta slander me. It is all politically motavated. I am sure Joe 6 Pack and all the hard workin' people in the country like Joe and me don't want me to pay these taxes. Don't we need less taxes? Ya betcha we do. And I was just doin' my part to keep government spending down by givin' them less money. In fact I should git a medul for taking a stand on this issue. And remember - hockey mom. maverick. Ronald Reagan. See Russia. Obama is a traitor. Speak in tongues. Free Alaska."

[Trollstakeyourmeds]

It's not "hockey mom". It's "Haaaawwww­kkkkeeyyyy Maaaaammmm". If you're going to quote her do it correctly.

[MYCOMMENTS]

LOVE IT! GREAT SATIRE.

[milo h minderbinder]

The headline contradicts the first sentence.

Is it 25k IN back taxes?

Or should owe ON 25k, which would be $6-7000?

[anney]

Yes, it appears that she owes taxes on $25,000, not taxes in the amount of $25,000.

[CtJean]

Either way, it stinks to high heavans.

I, for one, don't only want them to lose, I want them disgraced.

mc and sp are human g a r b a g e

[BrickSykes]

Are we talking Low Rent, or what? Here we have a couple making a combined quarter-million a year with multiple sources of income, and they walk into a store-front H&R Block to get their taxes done?

The office was probably having a special Sunday afternoon group rate...

Brick

[SEDANMIK]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/10/06/olbermann-special-comment_n_132456.html

OBAMA / BIDEN 08

[PT6]

This would be a surprise if this was the average person or politician, but with Sarah "Investigation" Palin this is "NO SURPRISE."

She seems to stretch everything beyond the limit of honesty!

Just because she had a preparer do the tax return does not absolve the Palins of criminal liability. They had to sign the return and they are responsible for providing the raw receipts to the preparer.

If they did not provide the receipts and directions for use then they are clearly at risk!

This is a worrisome situation but Friday's release of the Investigation is the MOST worrisome!

[SantaFeStars]

As most of you know by now, only the little people pay taxes!

[anney]

Do her past practices indicate that if McCain wins the election, Palin will operate as VP from Wasilla, AK?

Most employees move to where their jobs are, so why couldn't she? There is a governor's mansion in Alaska, and upkeep must be paid on it whether or not she lived there. If I were Alaskan, I'd be furious at having to pay her travel expenses when there's a governor's mansion in Juneau where she should have been living.:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska_Governor's_Mansion

[MYCOMMENTS]

I know a bit about Alaska, Juneau and Alaskan politics. My sister lived there for over thirty years and married into a political family. How many people know that the efforts to move the Capitol of Alaska from Juneau failed twice? The impression was that the capitol would move to Anchorage for better access, which would have devastated the business community in Juneau since they depend upon the legislature for a good portion of income that isn't tourism.
But that's not the most important part. I knew that in the early tries people were misled to think it was Anchorage that would become the capitol. My sister , who led several fights to save the capitol, enlightened me. The new capitol would have been --- hold your breath --- WASILLA.
Little by little, Governor Palin has been moving support services to Anchorage and that's one of the reasons it makes cockeyed sense for her to be in Anchorage-eyed about Palin, and I think you'll be surprised. Many Alaskan women are very upset to have her portray herself as the average woman in Alaska. Actually, there are some real horror stories if you look hard enough. Want to read more of my rants about "Life in These United States?" Visit http://myspace.com/sallystraight
--MyComments2

[neurologymatters]

Don't forget the penalties also owed.

[AnalyzeIT]

Say What?

I thought Palin was trying to put more cracks in a "ceiling".

She is living in the glass house called Bristol...­........an­d the ceiling is coming DOWN ...on her.

Someone said earlier; "Palin's not stupid, she's mean-spirited."

WELL, I've got news for you: she is both!!!

She is an embarrassment to McCain and her party. McCain clearly was not thinking about what was best for America when he chose his running mate.

OBAMA-BIDEN2008

[dorothyseattle]

You need to fix your headline. She does not owe $25,000 in taxes, she needs to pay taxes on an additional $25,000 in income. That's a very different thing!

I agree that both Palin's and McCain's taxes look fishy (McCain's due to gambling issues) but it behooves us to be accurate in our reporting!

[gdcb1128]

Um, no. The $25,000 reimbursed for her children's travel expenses are not income. She should never have received that money as the children have no official role and therefore can not claim travel expenses. Therefore, all of the claims for them must be returned and travel for the children must be paid for personally.

[dcree77]

You are absolutely correct. If we are going to criticize, we should be accurate and that begins with an accurate headline. It goes to credibility.

[Roll451]

I guess Palin believes that it is patriotic to cheat on your taxes.

[ThinkCreeps]

Yup. You betcha. She's a one-woman in-your-face grass-roots tax-saving machine, y'all.

[poco767c]

Sounds like McCain and the overdue tax on his houses, it was only payed off when he was caught 7 years in arrears.

[JamesInDenver]

Palin will probably just claim it was a mistake, she's not a tax expert.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, claiming a travel expense per diem while she was living at home is CHEATING. A true Maverick and Reformer (which she loves to tell us she is over and over and over and over again) wouldn't be cheating on her own employer.

Please stop reporting on this woman, I want to PUKE.

[Elphnessa]

I agree with you wholeheartedly! Per Diem for being at home? Wow! That's a cushy job she's got there. If that happened in the private sector, the accounting department would deny the request. Get some sense people! Try to look at this as if it was a co-worker of yours, or a boss -- the whole office would be snickering!

[katspajamas]

But she can see H&R Block from her house!

[lvdragonlady]

Sighs!!!
One more official that feels that they do not have to pay taxes.

GOP = screw the American people