The Taxman Cometh for Al Franken

[babylonsister]

http://blogs.tnr.com/tnr/blogs/the_stump/archive/2008/04/30/the-taxman-cometh-for-franken.aspx

The Taxman Cometh for Franken


Minnesota Senate candidate Al Franken's tax problems snowball:

Senate candidate Al Franken, dogged by accusations that he failed to file tax returns in California, said Tuesday he will pay about $70,000 in back income taxes in 17 states dating to 2003.

Most of the income at issue was from speeches and other paid appearances by the comedian-turned candidate, who said he got bad advice from his accountant but takes responsibility for the errors.

Reading through the stories, it sounds like an honest mistake by his accountant -- but it's still infuriating, since Taxgate is now dragging Al down in the polls in what should be the third-easiest Democratic Senate pickup (after Virginia and New Hampshire). The idea that the story could melt away quick is a fantasy: It's a deliciously easy way for Republicans to paint Franken a rich jet-setter, and I mean, at one point Obama's seventeen unpaid parking tickets briefly became a real story, and that's a far cry from failing to pay income taxes in seventeen states.

[lisa58]

1. I remember reading that professional ballplayers...

...are supposed to pay taxes in every state where they earn money. You could probably also apply that to a city or local tax where you earn money so I guess the same applies, if you give a speech in CA you have to pay taxes on the money earned from that speech.

I hope Al bounces back and wins this thing. That will be the best thing that ever happened to cspan2.

[wellstone dem]

2. Al has never polled well in this race, and the fear is there

is way to much out there that can be used against him. Which is why I'm a delegate for the true Wellstone progressive in this race, Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.