IRS To Recognize Same-Sex Marriage For Federal Tax Purposes

This has to be one of the more unusual issues for people to cheer about, but it’s a big deal. Today the U.S. Treasury Department announced legally married same-sex couples will be treated as married for all federal tax considerations. This includes federal income tax filing status, estate tax, and more. The announcement comes only months after the Supreme Court ruled the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as only between a man and a woman, as unconstitutional.

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Corporate Profits Soar, But Republicans Refuse To Raise Minimum Wage

We know corporate profits are hitting all-time highs, yet here we are having a debate with the protectors of corporate wealth over raising the minimum wage. I feel like responding to these people like Neo responded to Agent Smith in The Matrix. “Yeah, well that sounds like a really good deal. But I think I’ve got a better one. How about…I give you the finger, and you give us a fair wage.” — Wait, I’m getting reports that I might not have gotten that exactly right. Seems I was off a smidgen. Maybe “the finger” part. Two fingers?

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Where Have All The Journalists Gone? Democracy, Free Press, In The Age Of Internet Capitalism

Blinded By Journalism - photo by Ahmad HammoudWhat would happen if one day in the not so distant future, traditional print journalism died? I don’t mean what happens if we stop printing newspapers. I mean, what happens if “the press” is simply a collection of bloggers? I know I’m pouring gasoline on a fire with this line of questioning, most notably because I’m a blogger questioning the role of bloggers in journalism and news reporting, but is a person sitting in his bedroom or living room a journalist or a reporter?

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Fact of the Day: Executive Compensation Is A Corporate Tax Deduction – Yes, That’s Really A Thing

Obviously I’ve had my head buried in the sand, because I was totally unaware that corporations can deduct executive pay from their federal income taxes. So what this means is, average tax payers are subsidizing a tax deduction for some of the richest corporations on the planet. And that might be fine if it was a tax deduction meant to spur something for the good of society. But no, it’s just a tax deduction that helps wealthy fucks pay other wealthy fucks large sums of money. — Robert Reich explains it with a lot more restraint than I.

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On The Debt And Deficit, Forget About Shared Sacrifice

A common argument in support of raising taxes on the rich is the idea of shared sacrifice. The United States has a lot of debt, and somebody has to pay for it. And after all, if cuts to programs like Social Security and Medicare are on the table, then how exactly are the rich supposed to sacrifice if not for increased taxes?

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