WHAT’S THE BUZZ, TELL ME WHAT’S A HAPPENNIN’

I trust you had a “successful” 4^th of July.  I spent the day working on GDEs!

* Once again I made it in TAXPRO TODAY’s BUZZ-like “In the Blogs” – “Highlights from some of our favorite tax bloggers this week”. 

I am honored to be among TT’s favorite tax bloggers.

* Just a reminder – don’t try to contact the IRS today.  The Service is closed down as part of the “sequestration” nonsense.

* Over at the Washington Post’s WONKBLOG Lydia DePillis wants to rain on my parade by listing “Six Reasons Why Tax Reform Won’t Happen”.

Lydia actually makes some good points.  Especially the understatement of the decade –

“The Congress of 2013 is a much more polarized place than it was in 1986, weakening the odds of success even further.”

The idiots are much more polarized than any time during my lifetime!

And, of course, the question – “Where’s Obama?”.

* It appears that I am not the only “wandering” tax pro.  For those who are interested, Peter J Reilly talks about his “wanderings” in “Gettysburg Day 1 - Passing Into Legend And History With The Iron Brigade” at FORBES.COM.

* You’ve heard from “the Fonze”, RJ Wagner, and Fred Thompson.  Now hear from someone who is not being paid by a provider.  MONEYSMARTLIFE gives us a lesson in “Reverse Mortgages 101”.

* MISSOURI TAXGUY Bruce McFarland’s latest “McTax Hangout” online tv show covers “Cancellation of Debt”.

* Next Tuesday’s (July 9) “McTax Hangout” (8 AM PST, 10 AM CST, 11 AM EST) will cover the "Death of DOMA". 

Bruce “will be joined by Jason Dinesen and other preparers talking about some of what it means to couples in same-sex marriages who will no longer have to jump through the hoops to meet their tax obligations. We will also be discussing what it means in other issues of tax law as we see it right now.”

* Speaking of Jason Dinsesn, as this is a holiday week Jason gives us a “summer rerun” of one of the Dinesen Tax Greatest Hits at DINESEN TAX TIMES.  He has chosen “Further Thoughts on Preparer Regulation” from January of this year.

* Here is a 2010 post by Jim Blankenship of GETTING YOUR FINANCIAL DUCKS IN A ROW, recently touted by Jim via “tweet”, that is still worth mentioning – “IRA Options for a Surviving Spouse Under Age 59 ½”.

TTFN