This writer contends that having the IRS complete “most people’s” tax returns for them is the one realistic proposal for simplifying the federal income tax. How does having the government prepare your tax return qualify as simplification? The argument is that if taxpayers don’t have to actually confront the tax rules, that reduces the complexity experienced by taxpayers, so it’s simpler. Get it?
I’m not buying it. That’s like saying that because a 2015 model car requires less maintenance, and has fewer user-replaceable parts than my 1970 Dodge Dart did, then the 2015 car is simpler. Of course the 2015 car is not simpler. The 2015 car requires less maintenance and repair than the 1970, but when the 2015 does require maintenance or repair, the maintenance or repair is much costlier. Anyway, when the IRS prepares your tax return, and you don’t understand how they arrived at the amount they say you owe, what incentive does that give the IRS? We’re from the government, and we’re here to help. Trust us.
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“A lawyer shall not… prepare on behalf of a client an instrument giving the lawyer or a person related to the lawyer any substantial gift unless the lawyer or other recipient of the gift is related to the client.” That’s rule 1.8(c) of the Arizona Rules of Professional Conduct.
In other words, your lawyer can’t prepare your will if the will is going to include a “substantial” gift to that lawyer or a member of his or her family. It’s a pretty clear rule, in my opinion. Why am I bringing it up? Because a colleague who is also licensed in another state alerted me to an order of the supreme court of that state dealing with a violation of the same rule. The rule didn’t stop a lawyer in that state from (1) preparing a will that made a gift to the lawyer’s wife, and (2) attempting to conceal that the recipient of the gift was, in fact, his wife. I don’t know how it turned out for his wife, but it didn’t turn out well for the lawyer. I agree with the opinions expressed in this post about giving kids some freedom, and not making it a crime for parents to do so, but what really caught my attention was the photo illustrating the post. I’m not even sure what the photo has to do with the subject of the post, but it’s a great photo. If you can’t identify the characters in it, either you are under 50, or you flunk TV 101.
Apparently the idea of a scholarship has changed 180 degrees. At least this writer has managed to turn it on its head, by calling it “price discrimination.” In the upside down world we now live in, it’s apparently unfair for less qualified students to pay more than highly qualified ones.
There went the idea of a merit scholarship. Do any of these commentators think things through? Besides, I’m not going to take too seriously any commentator who uses “predominately” when they should have used “predominantly.” Via TaxProf Blog. It’s something I have believed for a long time: I can assure all lawyers that assuming your client’s passionate position to the exclusion of reason and good judgment will detract from your client’s position (not enhance it). I found that statement on the Inspired Law Blog, which I had never heard of before but dispensed at least that one nugget of truth (and might have other useful information, I just haven’t had time to look),
Via Overlawyered. I say it every time I meet with someone about estate planning: part of my job is making sure that you understand what you are signing and that all of your questions are answered.
Of course we do our best, and apply our expertise and experience, to produce top-quality documents. We take pride in the documents we produce. But that’s not the whole job. The job includes explaining what we are doing, and why it is important. That’s at least as important as the physical product. The job also includes making sure that we understand your needs and produce a finished product that meets those needs. That requires explaining what we are doing and why, and answering your questions. |
AuthorThe contents of this blog, this web site, and any writings by me that are linked here, are all my personal commentary. None of it is intended to be legal advice for your situation. Archives
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