Tax Law
Latest Nominee with Tax Troubles Is V&E Partner Ron Kirk
Posted Mar 3, 2009 8:03 AM CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The Vinson & Elkins partner nominated to be U.S. Trade Representative has agreed to pay nearly $10,000 in back taxes.
Most of the shortfall stems from Ronald Kirk's failure to pay income taxes on $37,752 in speaking fees he donated to his alma mater, Austin College, over a four-year period, according to a press release.
The shortfall “pales beside the lapses of some Obama Cabinet picks, though independent tax experts agreed that Kirk had made some ‘careless’ errors,” the Dallas Morning News reports. Reuters, the Associated Press the Tex Parte Blog and TaxProf Blog also published stories.
Other errors highlighted by the Senate Finance Committee: Kirk deducted more than $17,000 in business entertainment expense for season tickets to Dallas Maverick basketball games, but was only able to substantiate about $10,000 of that amount, according to the stories. He also deducted a larger percentage than warranted for tax and accounting fees, and owes about $1,000 in taxes as a result, the press release says.
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Comments
tim
Mar 3, 2009 9:05 AM CST
Why do liberal elitists like to raise taxes on all the working class yet the screw us by not paying it themselves.
Why does the IRS all the rich elitists to not pay taxes yet they go after the little guys? Is the IRS being bought off?
Why can’t the bar association suspend this guy? Failure to pay back taxes is FRAUD and a CRIME.
This guy is a crook.
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B. McLeod
Mar 3, 2009 10:18 AM CST
Not only that, a Mavericks fan. Mavericks!! Weren’t they the opposition team?
I thought someone was supposedly vetting these nominees.
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D Snow
Mar 3, 2009 10:52 AM CST
He is a crook! Once again a government official gets “special” treatment and doesn’t have to pay penalties and interest. Where do the rest of the taxpayers go to sign up for that program?
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Larry
Mar 3, 2009 1:19 PM CST
D Snow - just write the IRS a letter telling them you are an ivy league obama graduate and supporter and you will not have to pay taxes until some neocon catches you. The rules of law do not apply to privildged elite in this country.
Obama is purposely picking people who are tax cheats and frauds because that is all he knows.
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George
Mar 3, 2009 3:23 PM CST
How much money did Ron Kirk give to the Obama campaign? How much did his firm?
Are there any ramifications to his law license for refusing to pay his taxes?
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B. McLeod
Mar 4, 2009 12:12 AM CST
I noticed the president’s budget proposal included increased funding for IRS enforcement. I hope he can at least find a Secretary of Revenue who will pay his or her own taxes while cracking the whip on us peons.
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