WHAT’S THE BUZZ, TELL ME WHAT’S A HAPPENNIN’ - TUESDAY EDITION

Happy 35^th anniversary to the National Association of Tax Professionals!  I haven’t been a member for all 35 years – but at least 30.

* Tax pros – check out the new September “issue” of my free online newsletter “The Tax Professional”. 

And let me know your comments on the topics I discuss therein.

* Did you see the “Message from My Cat” yet?

* IRS release IR-2014-84 offers a reminder that bears constant repeating –

“The IRS will never:

1.   Call you about taxes you owe without first mailing you an official notice.

2.   Demand that you pay taxes without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount they say you owe.

3.   Require you to use a specific payment method for your taxes, such as a prepaid debit card.

4.   Ask for credit or debit card numbers over the phone.

5.   Threaten to bring in local police or other law-enforcement groups to have you arrested for not paying.”

If you get a phone call from someone claiming to be from the IRS and asking for money say “Put it in writing”, hang up, and -

“ . . . report the incident to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) at 1.800.366.4484 or at www.tigta.gov.”

* More proof that I did good by moving from New Jersey to Pennsylvania.  KIPLINGER lists NJ as #3 in its list of “10 Least Tax-Friendly States in the U.S.”.

Why -

“The Garden State’s combined state and local tax burden is the second-highest in the nation, after New York. What's more, seven of the top ten counties with the highest median real estate taxes are in New Jersey, according to the Tax Foundation.”

The one good thing about NJ, tax-wise, is something that I take advantage of whenever possible, since I live so close to the border and visit NJ frequently for business (the highlight is Kiplinger’s) –

“One plus for commuters: Gas taxes are the second-lowest in the U.S.”

Pennsylvania was not on either list for Least Friendly or Most Friendly.

* Kay Bell wisely suggests “Checking Out Charities Before You Give” at DON’T MESS WITH TAXES -

“ . . . you also need to make sure that any group to which you decide to give is a good fit for you and spends your and other donors' money in ways you approve.”

And she provides some online sources for your research –

“So spend some time at Charity Navigator and similar websites GuideStar and Give Well before giving. Look also at the BBB's Wise Giving Alliance, where you can find out whether any complaints have been filed against your charity.”

TTFN