Taxes Books

Award-winning writer Tim Z. Hernandez presents Skin Tax, a collection of poetry not for delicate sensibilities, as it deals with themes of love, desire, male sexuality, violence, bodily functions such as urination, and machismo. Free-verse lyrics unafraid to incorporate vulgar terms to explicitly quote gritty dialogue mark Skin Tax as contemporary poetry that dares to stand out and speak of subjects and situations commonly eschewed by other poets. Far from transcending flesh, Skin Tax is poetry concerning flesh, and all its failings, sinful pleasures, delights, and sufferings. I Rub My Hands: with your cream / cocoa butter & aloe / on my skin reminds me of the times / I've denied your love // In the supermarket / when your hand slips into the curve of my back pocket / and you whisper kisses / against the meat of my neck // I pull away - / A man afraid of what message / affection might bring / What foolishness...

The juices, seeds, and pulp of Tim Hernandez's Skin Tax are oozing out as we speak. It is lost in the shadow world of manhood, of questions and yearning. His poems will grab you, uncomfortably, and then stand you up--looking into the mirror, uncovering the metal reflection of truths. It says a lot about a writer to hold their vulnerable selves before all eyes and brave the words. He seems to do this with ease; he has command of the musicality in the lines and the dramatic, often stark use of images: where it lies writhing in agony--/ like a dolphin crumbling/ in sunlight. The book may leave one with a tiny hole in their heart, just big enough for the sad salt of the world to come through.

In this debut collection Tim Z Hernandez refuses to be the card-board cutout of small valley poetiks. Tim denounces the chicano man-child box, the engine-muscle of horny cholos in drop-heavy chevys. Instead, he vows to wear that "feminine skin", to rock a little eye shadow, or a skirt to feel the breeze tickle the knees. Tim's poetry punctures hearts and sees the heart with a unique, "fish-eye" lens.

This is a really great and readable text on what is often a challenging topic. The authors really have provided some insightful analysis on what is always a timely topic. I learned a tremendous amount and easily made my way through the flowing prose. I suggest this book for anyone interested in taxation and also for those of us who are simply "tax curious". This is a particularly relevant book given the upcoming elections!

Tax reform isn't usually one of those topics that gets people excited -- most people view it the same way George Bush looks at broccoli. But Slemrod and Bakija do a great job of making it interesting and explaining complex ideas in simple language. If you want to know how Steve Forbes' flat tax will hit your wallet or how much the current income tax system stymies growth, this is the book for you. Simply, it is a great, great place to start to learn about tax reform. It's as good as it gets on the topic

This slender volume is a readable and entertaining survey of the woes of the current income tax system and of a variety of tax reform proposals intended to replace the current system. The section of the book that discusses the tax system's effect on labor supply, saving & investment, incentive to work, international competiveness, and other economic 'macro' effects, is especially insightful. The authors conclude (probably correctly) that the tax system's effect on these things is probably marginal, and, in any event, difficult to measure empirically. Therefore, any tax reform that promises 'economic nirvana' should be taken with a grain of salt. The authors suggest, without endorsement, that the hallmarks of any new (or improved) tax system should be simplicity, enforcability, and revenue- raising efficiency; the last denotes the absence of 'social tinkering' through the tax system. Unfortunately, the authors note that all of the various tax reform proposals being floated by politicians suffer severe political defects. A national sales tax would be difficult to enforce (that's probably correct); a broad-based value added tax (VAT) would be highly regressive; the 'flat tax' (wage tax) would be less progressive than the current income tax; and the consumed income tax (consumption tax) would be more complicated than the current income tax (that's probably not correct, and the authors do not explain this assertion well). These are principally political impediments to reform- the authors suggest that it will take an act of political courage by Congress or the president to make any progress on the tax reform front. That's clearly correct, but don't hold your breath.

My son graduated college in May and I was able to find great homes for everything he didn't want for his new apartment. Outgrown clothes, room decorations, even his old sports trophies! And I'm now able to transform his old room into my very own exercise retreat!

My grandmother died and mom and I had to deal with all her stuff. A lot of it we couldn't use and didn't want to throw away. WHO NEEDS IT helped us find good homes for grandma's things.

My mom bought this book and used it to clean out our house. I gave away a bunch of old clothes and toys. We gave our stuff to different charities that needed it to do good work. My dad was real happy because he saved some money on taxes. We bought two copies and gave one to our church. This is a real good book.

My daughter was reading it and I looked at it out of curiosity to see what it was about. I started reading and I couldn't put it down. It's a fascinating story about a family that fought for justice and won. It's more exciting that a Clancy novel!

A book every one should read. Hard to believe how the IRS treated this family. Unbelievable.

Picked up this book because Charlie Moncrief is a friends father. Started reading this book and could not put it down, the story is told so well and the emotions and the drama are so put together -- reads like a Ludlum, and the amazing thing is that it is all real.

Highly reccomend.

This book is an easy to understand and a valuable resource for clergy and church treasurers. Many church financial officers are volunteers who really do not understand the clergy tax laws. I like the way the IRS reference information is given with each section, rather than at the back of the book. It is worth the price to keep an updated copy in your library if you are a minister, church treasurer or anyone who prepares clergy tax.

Worth's Income Tax Guide for Ministers is an invaluable tool for filing income tax forms for pastors or anyone in ministry, but it goes beyond that to provide information on setting up compensation packages, filing quarterly reports, planning retirement, insurance, etc. It also includes a worksheet to aid in completing a Form 2106. Updated yearly to keep you informed of any changes in the tax laws.

B.J. Worth and her organization have again produced the standard in the area of clergy taxes. Her knowledge and insight as well as the tools, charts, forms, and IRS rulings that are included will help any minister or person serving in ministry to cut their taxes. I recently loaned one pastor my 2007 version and he went back over what he had been told to file with the IRS using a normal tax company here in town. He discovered that he overpayed the IRS by $6,000 as a clergyman. Is a $17.00 book worth it? Well, I all I can say is that I have purchased an annual copy of Worth's Tax Guide for over 20 years and it has saved me hundreds of dollars and has helped me set up perfect tax records for our family.

Finally, a book absolutely anyone can understand when deciding how and where to invest. Mr. Dunetz is obviously an intelligent man but is able to speak to the layman as well as the established investor.

I'm glad I read this book before I planned my estate. Finally, a comprehensive and easy to read volume on the subject.

My sister Allison turned me on to this book when I told her of my concern towards protecting my future assets, and am I glad she did. Easy to read information that has already helped me in my quest to protect my sizable fortune obtained after years and years of domestic cat breeding.

This book is a pleasure to get through and does an excellent job assessing the current state of tax reform. His competitive tax plan makes quite a bit of sense too. Shifting a good portion of federal revenue to a VAT takes over 150 million individuals off the IRS rolls and simplifies the entire system. I worry that the implementation process would be too complicated to reap the benefits of the simpler system, and that this plan lacks the proper advocates in Congress, but that does not mean you shouldn't read this book and understand his plan. The VAT is a tried and true system throughout the EU, and could help the US in numerous ways.

Michael Graetz makes tax policy almost enjoyable. Graetz never forgets that the tax system's primary purpose is to raise the money needed to finance the government services that the nation wants in the least harmful way. Or, as the French economist Colbert put it, "The art of taxation consists in so plucking the goose as to obtain the largest possible amount of feathers with the smallest possible amount of hissing." Graetz provides a realistic assessment of our current tax structure and deftly identifies the failings of faddish proposals, such as the "fair tax" and the "flat tax." His proposal to reduce the number of people required to pay income tax and to add a value-added tax to our nation's fiscal arsenal deserves serious consideration by conservatives and liberals alike.

Paul N. Van de Water

Bernstein's series of books are the best tax guides of any sort that I have encountered. They would be useful to any taxpayer but are absolutely essential for academics. Even if you don't want to do your own taxes, the books help you understand how to reduce your tax liability. He only publishes new editions when there are major changes in the tax law, so sometimes a few years pass before a new edition comes out.

Back in 1991-92, my husband and I went to Japan for a sabbatical. At that time, the 1992 edition of the Tax Guide was an invaluable help to us. The amounts which can be used for deductions each day, simply because you eat and work in another country, are very surprising indeed. We saved $9,000 that year, largely because of deductions outlined in this book.

In August we shall be leaving for another sabbatical, this time in India. There is no question that we will leave the Tax Guide with our tax preparer again just as we did previously. The economic benefits are too great to lose. Most tax accountants are unaware of the deductions allowed college professors during sabbatical leaves. This book outlines them succinctly.

J. Smith, McPherson, KS.

Greg's book is a classic.

Great resource book to read and then give to clients and their advisors to aid them in turning the corner on the paradigm shift that needs to occur if they are to move beyond the 10 yard line of the typical estate plan.

This book has aged remarkably well. First published in 1964, it remains the best account of the Boston Tea Party in or out of print. In fact, it's something of a classic. It's easy to read, tells the story in all its complexity (which involves going beyond Boston to look at how opposition to the Tea Act played out in Charleston, Philadelphia, and New York), and places the "tea party" in the larger story of the American Revolution.

Mr. Labaree's Boston Tea Party is an excellent chronology of the American Revolution from the Townshend Acts to the Boston Tea Party, culminating in the Coercive Acts and the beginnings of the Continental Congress. Labaree lays out the increasing tension between the American Colonies and Britian. He delves into the radical nature of the Revolution as a libertarian mass movement. Although the colonists were led by leaders like Samuel Adams, Dr. Thomas Young, and Joseph Warren, Labaree cogently lays out how the Revolution was a mass movement of the people. Hundreds, if not thousands of farmers became involved in assisting Boston after the passage of the Coercive Acts. Philadephia organized a mass meeting of over 8000 people to protest the tyrannical acts. After the passage of the Coercive Acts, Boston, Philadelphia, New Haven, Baltimore, Annapolis and other colonial cities were inflamed. This beginning of revolution was not a movement of only the rich, but of an enraged, passionate people defending their liberties.

Most importantly Labaree shows how the British and Americans viewed imperial relations and the position of the colonies in the Empire. Overall a really fine read for those interested in our libertarian revolution.