HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: cep@taligent.com (Christophe Pettus)
Subject: Re: Serious Tax Liability Problem
Organization: Taligent, a little subsidiary of two really big companies.
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 19:10:15 GMT

In article <Pine.3.03.9211161918.A13887-9100000@pyramid> wahrer@cs.unr.edu (Harry S Wahrer) writes:
>My question is, Is it possible to declare bankruptcy
>(after the decision of course) to avoid the tax man?  Any worthwhile
>suggestions would be appreciated.

Most worthwhile suggestion: You need an exceptionally good tax
professional yesterday.  Run, don't walk, to find one.

Any filing of bankruptcy automatically puts a hold on IRS collection
activities.  However, it is not easy to discharge back taxes as part of
a bankruptcy proceeding; in some cases, it's impossible (such as
payroll taxes withheld that were supposed to be paid to the IRS, but
were not).  The issues are complex; for a good reference, check out the
Nolo Press books MONEY TROUBLES and STAND UP TO THE IRS.
--
-- Christophe

"I draw the line at Styrofoam packing kernels, you sick pervert."
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: creech@hardy.u.washington.edu (Bill Creech)
Subject: U.S. Savings Bonds
Organization: University of Washington, Seattle
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:00:24 GMT

   
If bonds are being purchased for the child's college education, the parent 
should own them.  This is because section 135 of the Internal Revenue
Code may allow the interest income on the bonds to be excluded from
income if the bonds are used to pay tuition and fees.  Exactly how
much will be excluded depends upon the income of the parent at the time
the bonds are cashed in, the amount of bonds cashed in and the amount of    
tuition expense.  It seems reasonable to keep the bonds in the parent's
name in case the exclusion would be available.

Bill Creech
creech@u.washington.edu
From: acheng@ncsa.uiuc.edu (Albert Cheng)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Re: Charitable Contribution to a foreign charity -- Deductible ??
Keywords: Charity, foreign organization, is it tax deductible ??
Date: 18 Nov 92 06:24:26 GMT
Article-I.D.: ncsa.1992Nov18.062426.11149
Distribution: usa
Organization: Nat'l Ctr for Supercomp App (NCSA) @ University of Illinois
Originator: acheng@shalom.ncsa.uiuc.edu

In article <27503@dog.ee.lbl.gov> prem@prem.lbl.gov (R. Shirdi Prem) writes:
>...
>	As far as I can tell, contributions to foreign organizations are not
>	tax-deductible. However, the person who represents the charity says
>	that my contribution will be deductible.
>
>	Please let me know which one of us is correct, and why.

The Fed. Tax instruction booklet clearly says contributions to foreign
organizations are NOT deductible.  The representative might be
misinformed or lying.  IRS keeps a list of all tax deductible
organizations.  You can call them up to see if your interested
organiation is on the list.  The number is 1-800-829-1040 or just
839-1040 for San Francisco or Oakland residents.

A personal opinion: I would not donate a large sum out right.  May be a
hundred dollars the first time.  Then I would like to see some results
(personal visit reports from friends or at least an annual report.)  It
is unfortunate that there are crooks out there prying on people's good
will.
From: wahrer@cs.unr.edu (Harry S Wahrer)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Serious Tax Liability Problem
Date: 17 Nov 92 03:50:18 GMT
Organization: Fedtax-L<==>Misc.Taxes Gateway
X-Gateway-Source-Info: Mailing List

I have a small problem with the IRS. They claim that I owe $45,000.00 +
interest and assorted other charges in back taxes and penalties. I am just
now getting to the federal tax court gaunlet and things will probably go in
the favor of the IRS. My question is, Is it possible to declare bankruptcy
(after the decision of course) to avoid the tax man?  Any worthwhile
suggestions would be appreciated.

P.S It is a "civil" and not criminal case......

Scott Wahrer
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Re: MacInTax?
From: zevpeter@chen.bgu.ac.il (Bill Peter)
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 15:18:57 GMT
Organization: Ben Gurion University, Beer Sheva, Israel
Originator: zevpeter@chen.bgu.ac.il


In article <BxonJv.DBu@news.iastate.edu>, TW.A51@isumvs.iastate.edu (Jim Berg) writes:
|> I am looking for opinions on MacInTax, the tax prep software for the
|> Macintosh.  If you have used it... do you like it?  are you going to
|> use it again? Etc....
|>
|> I welcome all replies


I and many of my friends have been using it for many years.  We love it.
--
Bill Peter
Physics Department
Ben-Gurion University, Beersheva, Israel.
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: rkimm@ameris.ameritech.com (Robert L. Kimmel)
Subject: Re: How is state tax liability figured?
Organization: Ameritech, Hoffman Estates, IL
Distribution: usa
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 17:31:18 GMT

wirth@fine.Princeton.EDU (Colleen Wirth) writes:

>Hello fellow tax payers--

>The only time I ever seem to get around to reading this group is in
>November when the evil tax man is taking bigger and bigger chunks
>out of my measly paycheck, in an effort to make up for those 9
>deductions I claimed back in February. I can usually figure my tax 
>burden to within $100 or so, but this year there's a hitch: I worked 
>half the year in California, and then moved to New Jersey and started 
>working and paying taxes here.

>What I need to know is, do the states figure the amount of taxes I owe 
>considering ONLY the amount I made in that state, disregarding any 
>money I made in another state? 

>This is very important, since if I get to start again at $0 in New Jersey 
>half way through the year, I'll be in a much lower tax bracket in both 
>states. I could then use my state refunds to pay the Feds.

I don't know how California works, but NJ has you determine both your "Income
from NJ sources" and your "Income from all sources."  Next compute the
percentage of your income from NJ sources; we will use that number later.
Now determine the NJ tax on your "Income from all sources", and multiply by the
percentage determined above.  For example:

Income from all sources: $30,000
Income from NJ sources:  $12,000
Multiplier:                  40%
NJ tax on $30,000:          $650   (as of 1989; it's probably different now)
$650 x 40%:                 $260

I have left out the effect of personal exemptions, etc., but that should give
you the idea.  If another state had the same definition of income, same tax
brackets, same exemptions, etc., as NJ, you would neither gain nor lose by
earning your income in two states vs. receiving it all in one.

NJ also used to have an eccentricity in its tax code that caused those who are
"Married filing jointly" to pay quite a bit more than those who are "Married
filing separately."  I don't know whether that eccentricity is still there, or
whether it applies to you, but be advised.  The main down side is that if you
file separately on your NJ return, you are supposed to file separately on your
US return, which can have negative consequences, depending on one's situation.

BK
From: edsverk@ed4000-2.lerc.nasa.gov (Kenneth Lee Atchinson)
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
Subject: Reimbursement on Moving - Deductable?
Date: 16 Nov 92 16:51:08 GMT
Organization: NASA Lewis Research Center

Hello Fellow Tax Payers,
    I am a novice in this game of tax and deductions and I need
a little help this year.  Durning 1992, I changed jobs and moved
from Florida to Ohio, of which the company paid for relocation
expenses (moving van and packing and storing of furniture and
personal effects, airline tickets, and temporary housing in a motel).
Since the relocation was paid directly by the company, they did not
pay any taxes and those expenditures will show up as income (I think)
on my W-2.  I do not own a home and thus do not normally claim any
deductions outside of the "standard".  The question is: can I deduct
these expenses?  If so, which form(s) do I use.  I would imagine I
would use the 1040 LONG form along with one or more schedules.  Other
than starting an IRA and praying alot, how can I avoid paying a huge
tax (out of pocket) for this move?  I read a self-help guide to taxes
last week and in 500 words or more it talked about moving expenses as
being deductable but did not explicitly name my situation as OK or
NOT OK for deduction.

    Any help in this area is GREATLY appreciated.  Also, is there a
FAQ for questions like this?

-- 
Kenneth Lee Atchinson
edsverk@lerc.nasa.gov
Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: johne@PROBLEM_WITH_INEWS_GATEWAY_FILE (John Eaton)
Subject: Re: How is state tax liability figured?
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 15:43:46 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Hewlett-Packard VCD
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5

Colleen Wirth (wirth@fine.Princeton.EDU) wrote:
: Hello fellow tax payers--
: 
: What I need to know is, do the states figure the amount of taxes I owe 
: considering ONLY the amount I made in that state, disregarding any 
: money I made in another state? 
:
------------------- 
States have a hodge podge method of trying to collect the maximum possible
amount that they can. Typically they will compute your taxes assuming you
worked the entire year in their State and then prorate your taxes based upon
actual amounts earned. This means that even if you only earned one paycheck
it could be taxed at the States highest rate.

John Eaton
!hp-vcd!johne


Newsgroups: misc.taxes
From: ask@cbnews.cb.att.com (Arthur S. Kamlet)
Subject: Re: Charitable Contribution to a foreign charity -- Deductible ??
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories,  Columbus, Ohio
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 19:52:27 GMT
Keywords: Charity, foreign organization, is it tax deductible ??

In article <27503@dog.ee.lbl.gov> prem@prem.lbl.gov (R. Shirdi Prem) writes:
>	I need some advice about the tax implications of contributing to
>	a charitable organization outside the United States.
>
>	I live & work in the United States (not a citizen). I was recently
>	approached by an organization which does excellent work in education
>	of poor children in India. I would like to donate a substantial sum
>	(about $5000, substantial to me at least) to this organization, and 
>	want to know if this is tax-deductible.
>
>	If it is not directly tax-deductible, is there any other way I can
>	make a tax-deductible donation to this organization ??
>
>	As far as I can tell, contributions to foreign organizations are not
>	tax-deductible. However, the person who represents the charity says
>	that my contribution will be deductible.

First of all you can deduct qualified charitible contributions only
if you itemize your deductions.  If not, there's no need to read any
further.

The IRS decides which charitible organizations are qualified.  One
easy way is to find out if they have applied to the IRS to be
certified, and have been certified as a qualified charitible
organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

If not, it is possible they qualify, but probably not.

Many charitible organization do work outside of the United States,
but have an organization within the United States which is a 501(c)(3)
orgabization and collects and distributes funds.  For example,
Project Hope, ORT, CARE, ... are international charitible
organizations whose US collection/distribution organization is
qualified.

It is possible that this organization has a qualified US
organization to which you can send your donation.  Get in writing
form them some proof they are a qualified 501(c)(3) organization.
-- 
Art Kamlet  a_s_kamlet@att.com  AT&T Bell Laboratories, Columbus
Newsgroups: misc.writing
From: dpipes@spica.srg (Dave Pipes x4552)
Subject: Re: Run on sentences
Organization: just me
Date: Mon, 23 Nov 92 18:14:09 GMT
Followup-To: misc.writing 

In article <380.2841.uupcb@synapse.org> ian.murray@synapse.org (Ian Murray)  writes:
>"When the last days were upon me,and the ugly trifles of existance began 
>to drive me to madness like the small drops of water that torturers let 
>fall ceaselesslyupon one spot of their victim's body, I loved the 
>irradiate refuge of sleep."
>
>      Opening sentence of 'Ex Oblivione' by H.P.Lovecraft.
>
>Is this a run-on sentence or what???
>
Or what, really.  This a pretty short sentence for Lovecraft.  I recall one
that went on for more than one page (in a paperback).  I think that it was
from "The Strange Case of" someone with an old New England name.  Still, he
is a good writer...or is he?

	David Pipes

Well, he *was* a good writer, anyway...
Newsgroups: misc.writing
From: jtchew@csa3.lbl.gov (Ad absurdum per aspera)
Newsgroups: misc.writing
Subject: Re: Work in Progress
Date: 23 Nov 1992 10:32 PST
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory - Berkeley, CA, USA
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: 128.3.254.198
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    

> I ran into an unanticipated anxiety at this point.  

It should be an expected anxiety...

> Now I feel like I'm offering a part of me on a platter for close examination

Which is exactly what you're doing...

> and I'm nervous about what they'll find.

And well you should be!  

> Can anybody relate.

Sure.  I'm from California; they give us classes in that, along with 
freeway etiquette and how to choose a ripe avocado, before allowing 
us to buy surfboards.  So let's look at the gamut of possibilities.

* They'll all say, "God, this is good!" and you can respond, "Oh,
  you can still call me Kevin."

* They'll find flaws and offer stinging but constructive comments 
  that will hurt at first but result in a better manuscript.

* They'll find flaws and offer comments that force you to confront
  the fact that your ms is an unsalvageable piece of merde poo-poo.

* They'll make a variety of comments both good and bad that, when
  taken collectively and in context, make you realize that your pals
  don't know much about literature. Expect at least one of them to
  circle every spelling mistake but fail to follow the plot.

* They'll get off on tangential discussions that may waste your time...
  or may show you where your next book ought to go.

Pick as many of the above as you have friends.

Congratulations on taking a terrifying but necessary step towards
*publishing* your work, which makes the difference between writing
and occupational therapy.  Let us know how it comes out!

Joe
"The pallid pimp of the dead-line/The enervate of the pen" --Robert Service
Newsgroups: misc.writing
From: randal@pylon.physics.colostate.edu (randal rheinheimer)
Subject: speech interruption
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 23:06:54 GMT
Organization: Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO  80523

I've come across a problem in my all-too-amateurish writing and am asking those  
more experienced (or just more imaginative) for help.  There is a certain flow  
I wish to maintain in putting a thought or a description inside a spoken  
sentence, but no particular construction seems right to me.  Here is an example  
of the sort of thing I'm working with:

She said, "I'm posting you about my problem--" Her hands became clumsy on the  
keyboard. "--and I hope you're able to help me."

That's the best construction I had come up with, so I knew that it was past  
time to get help; it's just not right to put a complete sentence in the middle  
of the spoken phrase.  Possibly the dashes could be placed outside the  
quotation marks:

 . . problem," --her hands became clumsy on the keyboard-- "and . . .

A large part of the problem is that the flow, the feel of the passage is  
destroyed if I put the description somewhere more convenient.  Any  
ideas--parentheses, maybe?
Thanks for your help.  Please post rather than mailing--my machine refuses to  
acknowledge existence beyond itself just now.
Rand
Newsgroups: misc.writing

William--

Please see my response to this in ....sf.written, which, by the way, I
think a perfectly acceptable place to post your base note.

Best,
Robert Devereaux
From: twriter1@pencom.com
Newsgroups: misc.writing
Subject: SGML--what is it?
Date: 16 Nov 92 17:34:23 GMT
Reply-To: twriter1@pencom.com
Organization: Pencom Software

I am debating whether or not I should fork over almost $1000
to learn about SGML (a reputable 2 or 3 day long course).  Is it
worth it?  Is SGML the wave of the future as I have heard?
What does it stand for?
Newsgroups: misc.writing
From: bible@iastate.edu (Anthony E Bible)
Subject: Re: Ethics, publishing and the net
Organization: Iowa State University, Ames, IA
Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1992 16:49:08 GMT

In article <1992Nov15.231107.21506@netcom.com> tmaddox@netcom.com (Tom Maddox) writes:
[stuff deleted]
>
>	However, if people find such announcements objectionable,
>they should say so; and if not, they should say that.  I remain interested 
>to hear about what others are publishing and do not begrudge them the 
>opportunity to say so in even reasonably appropriate newsgroups; 
>I am also willing to concede that I may be blinded by self-interest and 
>so unable to see that such actions should not occur.
>

	Go ahead and announce it.  Unless it includes an 800 number or an order
form I don't consider that commercialism nor do I find it objectionable.  Seems
like justifiable pride on the part of the author and encouragement for other
readers of this group.  If the group becomes cluttered with too many of these
posts we can re-visit the topic, but it is not my impression that there is a
plethora of published authors in the group.
	Just my opinion.  E pluribus unum.

Regards,
tony
Newsgroups: misc.writing
From: jeras@oracle.com (John Eras)
Subject: Re: Intersting point?
Organization: Oracle Corp., Belmont CA
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 21:08:39 GMT
X-Disclaimer: This message was written by an unauthenticated user
              at Oracle Corporation.  The opinions expressed are those
              of the user and not necessarily those of Oracle.

In article <92322.122322KVJLC@ASUACAD.BITNET> KVJLC@ASUACAD.BITNET (Jon L. Campbell) writes:
>       I re-read a posting from Fred about the characters in his novel
>  and it got me to thinking.  I wondered about the depth of his antagonist
>  and had a couple of questions someone out there might want to answer.
>
>   1.)  If an antagonist is supposed to be the opposite of the protagonist,
>	then if the protagonist was a jerk wouldn't the antagonist be more
>	reasonable?
>
>	-  This part I don't understand.  Is it necessary to have a protagonist
>	   in the story who is the reflection of good?
>
>	-  Can't a protagonist be a jerk sometimes or should the character
>	   be above reproach?

The protagonist is simply the main character, not necessarily the hero,
so he can be as big a jerk as you like (in which case I guess you would
call him an antihero).  The antagonist is someone who works against or
is hostile to the protagonist, and he can also be as big a jerk as you
like.  You'd probably have a pretty funky story, though, if both of them
were jerks.

--
jeras@us.oracle.com
Newsgroups: misc.writing
Subject: Re: Ethics, publishing and the net
From: miuvdd@lure.latrobe.edu.au
Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1992 03:08:47 GMT
 <1992Nov15.231107.21506@netcom.com> <BxtIpy.49F@news.iastate.edu>
Organization: VAX Cluster, Computer Centre, La Trobe University 

In article <BxtIpy.49F@news.iastate.edu>, bible@iastate.edu (Anthony E Bible) 
writes:

> 	Go ahead and announce it.  Unless it includes an 800 number or an order
> form I don't consider that commercialism nor do I find it objectionable.  
> Seems like justifiable pride on the part of the author and encouragement for 
> other readers of this group. If the group becomes cluttered with too many of
> these posts we can re-visit the topic, 


Well there is a big difference betwen a posting :

"Hey world, I finally got my name in print!!! :)"

and

"XYZ is rpoud to announce the release of the latest blockbuster
by Ima Riter, it's wonder, it's great, rush out and buy one!"


Okay. Perhaps a little exaggeration there... but only a little.


>but it is not my impression that there is a plethora of published 
>authors in the group. Just my opinion.  

I think that you would be surprised. I think it would great if writers
felt that they could share their achievements with the newsgroups...
and okay, so you maynot be excited by the release of the latest
hardware manual/role playing scemario/Romance/PI etc.. 

But IMHO I really think that the feedback, and dare I say
encouragement would be welcome by a hell of a lot of people.



Just a thought, while I lay my neck on the line.... :)


Morgana
************************************************************************
How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?
"It was a dark and stormy night...."
************************************************************************
From: sasafw@dobo.unx.sas.com (Fred Welden)
Newsgroups: misc.writing
Subject: Re: Ethics, publishing and the net
Date: 16 Nov 92 14:54:38 GMT
Organization: Dobonia
Originator: sasafw@dobo.unx.sas.com


In article <1992Nov16.054911.16903@math.ucla.edu>, troly@redwood.math.ucla.edu (Bret Jolly) writes:
|
|   I thought Tom Maddox's posts about his publications were
|entirely legitimate.  He is, after all, an active contributor to
|this newsgroup, not a faceless corporation.  I think many readers
|of this newsgroup are interested in seeing what qualifications
|the frequent posters have.  In this newsgroup, that means the
|ability to write, which is probably correlated with the ability
|to get published.

No insult intended to the writing abilities of the published authors
posting here, whose posts show that they do have the ability to write,
but the ability to write does not correlate with the ability to get
published.  There may be a lower cutoff, a level of quality below which
you cannot hope to be published, but if so it is very low indeed.
Beyond that I do not think you can find any relationship between ability
and publications.  (At least, in the world of fiction.  Academic works
and serious non-fiction may differ from this.)

If I seem to harp on this point in my posts, that's probably because I
do.  I have seen too many good fledgling writers torturing themselves
because they couldn't get published and therefore must be bad writers.


-- 
--Fred, or another blind 8th-century BC  |  sasafw@dobo.unx.sas.com
        Hellenic poet of the same name.  |
Newsgroups: misc.writing
From: tuff@ellis.uchicago.edu (Geoff Tuffli)
Subject: Superb Book on Getting Published...
Reply-To: tuff@midway.uchicago.edu
Organization: University of Chicago Computing Organizations
Date: Fri, 20 Nov 1992 22:39:25 GMT

I picked up a book called "The Insider's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers,
and Literary Agents" by a Jeff Herman and have been reading through it; from
what I can see so far, it is probably the best book I have seen on this.

Might want to check it out, if you are so inclined...


	Geoff Tuffli
From: sasafw@dobo.unx.sas.com (Fred Welden)
Subject: Re: Intersting point? AND Flat antagonist?
Originator: sasafw@dobo.unx.sas.com
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 15:05:47 GMT
Organization: Dobonia


In article <Bxx2D1.L84@unx.sas.com>, sasafw@dobo.unx.sas.com (Fred Welden) writes:
|I am
|certain that you can have a story without an antagonist.  Examples that
|leap to mind are "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and THE ACCIDENTAL
|TOURIST.

Hmm.  On rethinking that it occurs to me that Walter Mitty has an
obvious antagonist in his wife.  So let me substitute another Thurber
story, "The Night the Bed Fell," in its place.


-- 
--Fred, or another blind 8th-century BC  |  sasafw@dobo.unx.sas.com
        Hellenic poet of the same name.  |