Taxes for the Masses
Lisa De Simone and Bridget Stomberg
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Lisa De Simone and Bridget Stomberg (friends, professors, and tax nerds) discuss tax topics in simple terms.
Available episodes
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5 days ago
On 50 Episodes of TFTM
In this episode, we mostly goof off and talk about our experiences making 50 episodes of Taxes for the Masses.
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May 14, 2023
On IRS Audits
In this episode, we break down the audit process in the U.S. and offer some perspective on which taxpayers are most likely to be audited and why.
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Apr 30, 2023
On the IRS Charity Scandal
In this episode, we outline the history of the IRS’ tax-exempt approval process and recent calls for more scrutiny over organizations applying for tax-exempt status.
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Apr 16, 2023
On Making Filing Easier
In this episode, we compare and contrast programs in the U.S. intended to make filing taxes cheaper and easier to those in other developed countries.
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Apr 2, 2023
On Consumption Taxes
In this episode, we do a deeper dive into what these consumption taxes are, how they can be administered, and who pays them.
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Mar 19, 2023
On the Fair Tax Act
In this episode, we discuss how a national sales tax would work and the distributional effects the Fair Tax Act would have on American households.
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Mar 5, 2023
On the Latest Tax Research - 2023 Edition
In this episode, we discuss some of the latest tax research from the 2023 mid-year meeting of the American Taxation Association.
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Feb 19, 2023
On the Taxation of Gambling Income
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Feb 5, 2023
On Taxing Professional Athletes
In this episode, we explain the mechanics and the history of the so-called “jock tax”.
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Jan 22, 2023
On Tax Fraud in the Trump Organization
In this episode, we discuss the conviction of the Trump Organization on 17 counts of tax fraud and other crimes in the New York Supreme Court.
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Jan 8, 2023
On Trump's Tax Returns
In this episode, we discuss how former President Trump's tax returns were made public, what they reveal, and what could come next.
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Dec 25, 2022
Gifts and Estates (Part 2)
In this episode, we explain the history use of 501(c)(4) organizations, how they can support a vast array of objectives, and the tax benefits they offer to those who contribute money to them.
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Dec 11, 2022
On Gifts and Estates (Part 1)
In this episode, we discuss the estate and gift tax consequences of the Chouinard family decision regarding their Patagonia fortune as well as alternative structures they could have considered.
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Nov 27, 2022
On the Revolving Door
This episode is on the movement of high-level employees from public-sector to private-sector jobs and vice versa.
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Nov 13, 2022
On the Employee Retention Tax Credit
This episode is on the employee retention tax credit with special guest Stefan Richter to discuss his research on the topic.
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Oct 30, 2022
On Corporate State Taxes and Risk-Taking
This episode is on how states tax corporations and how that affects their business decisions, with special guest Anthony Welsch to discuss his research on the topic.
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Oct 16, 2022
On Taxes and Inequity
In this very special episode, recorded LIVE at the University of Iowa's Tippie College of Business, we discuss tax policies and societal inequities.
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Oct 2, 2022
On the Work Opportunity Tax Credit
In this episode, we outline the history of the WOTC, discus the limited evidence on its effectiveness, and highlight potential room for improvement in the policy.
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Sep 18, 2022
On Property Taxes
In today’s episode, we welcome Jane Bowman, a Minnesota Tax Court Judge, to discuss property taxes.
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Sep 4, 2022
On Taxes and Rising Rents
In this episode, we explain how taxes may have influenced the rising rents trend over the past decade, along with other factors at play.
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Aug 21, 2022
On the Inflation Reduction Act
In this episode, we break down the tax policy changes embedded in the Inflation Reduction Act.
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Aug 7, 2022
On Taxes and Inflation
In this episode, we explain inflation at a high level and examine its relation to taxes.
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Jul 24, 2022
On the Deductibility of Executive Compensation
In this episode, we discuss the history of deductibility of executive compensation and highlight academic evidence on the ability of tax policy to influence executive compensation.
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Jul 10, 2022
On Paul Manafort and FATCA
In this episode, we discuss the laws requiring U.S. taxpayers to report foreign account information and research into the efficacy of those laws.
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Jun 26, 2022
On SECURE 2.0
In this episode, we discuss the provisions of the Securing a Strong Retirement Act, also dubbed SECURE 2.0, and how it could influence inequality in America.
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Jun 12, 2022
On the Latest Tax Research - Scandinavian Edition
In this episode, we discuss papers presented at the Third Norwegian Tax Accounting Symposium held in Bergen, Norway in May 2022.
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May 29, 2022
On Disney and DeSantis
This episode breaks down the feud between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney, then discusses the implications of using tax law to punish corporations for expressing political views.
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May 15, 2022
On the Earned Income Tax Credit
In this episode, we outline the history of the EITC, recent proposals to modify and expand the credit, and evidence on its effectiveness.
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May 1, 2022
On Zero Tax Firms
In this episode, we discuss how firms that report profit to their shareholders under U.S. GAAP can pay little or no federal income tax.
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Apr 17, 2022
On the Gig Economy
In this episode, we discuss the tax implications of the gig economy for workers, companies and the government.
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Apr 3, 2022
On the Tax Treatment of Crypto
In this episode, we discuss the tax implications of cryptocurrency. We're joined by special guest Dan Hannum, COO of ZenLedger, a cryptocurrency tax software.
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Mar 20, 2022
On WFH - Income and Deductions
In this episode, we discuss the tax ramifications to employees of working from home with an emphasis on what types of compensation are taxable and what types of expenses are deductible.
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Mar 6, 2022
On WFH - Where You Pay Tax
In this episode, we discuss the tax ramifications to employees and potentially to their employers of working from home when the employee resides or works from a location that is outside of their employer’s state of operations.
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Feb 20, 2022
On the Latest Tax Research
In this episode, we discuss some of the latest research presented at the American Taxation Association's annual meeting and journal conference.
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Feb 6, 2022
On Free Filing
In this episode, we discuss the history of the IRS' free filing program and the recent controversy surrounding it.
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Jan 23, 2022
On Executive Stock Options
In this episode, we discuss the tax consequences to the employee and the employer of stock-based compensation with a focus on executive stock options.
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Jan 9, 2022
On the Marriage Tax Penalty and Inequality
Today’s episode is on the federal marriage tax penalty, which is one way that taxes can contribute to inequality in the United States.
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Dec 25, 2021
On the SALT Deduction
In this episode, we discuss the federal deduction for state and local taxes: why it exists, why it was capped, and why current proposals aim to increase the cap.
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Dec 12, 2021
On Wash Sales and Tax Loss Harvesting
In this episode, we discuss tax loss harvesting, a tax planning tool that can reduce taxes on capital gains and boost investment returns, so long as one minds the wash sale rules.
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Nov 28, 2021
On the Billionaire Income Tax
Want to learn more about the billionaire income tax - a novel way to curb income tax avoidance by high-wealth and high-income individuals? Check out this episode where we welcome IU law professor David Gamage - who consulted with the Senate Finance Committee on the tax's design.
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Nov 7, 2021
On Corporate Tax Shaming
In this episode, we discuss global efforts to increase public disclosures about corporate tax avoidance in an effort to shame corporations into paying their "fair share."
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Oct 24, 2021
On the Pandora Papers
In this episode, we discuss the Pandora Papers, a massive data leak of almost 12 million files from 14 different offshore companies that advise primarily wealthy clients on legal and financial transactions. We detail how and why non-U.S. citizens or residents are establishing trusts in U.S. states to facilitate tax avoidance and hide assets from creditors.
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Oct 10, 2021
On the Child Tax Credit
In this episode, we discuss Congress' recent expansion and acceleration of the Child Tax Credit, and why these changes have caused so much widespread confusion.
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Oct 7, 2021
Trailer for Educators
In this trailer, we describe how our podcast and suggested teaching materials can be used by educators.
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Sep 26, 2021
On the GLoBE: the Global Minimum Tax
In this episode, we provide an update on the proposed global minimum tax and what it means for multinational corporations, as well as global tax policy.
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Sep 12, 2021
On Biden’s Proposed Minimum Book Tax
In this episode, we discuss the good, bad and ugly aspects of Biden's proposed minimum tax on book income.
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Aug 29, 2021
On the Lord of the Roths
Ever wondered what the difference between a traditional and Roth IRA is? Or what an IRA is? Or how Peter Thiel used his Roth to make $5B of taxable capital gains disappear? Tune in to this episode, where we'll cover all this and more!
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Aug 26, 2021
TFTM Trailer 2
In this second trailer, learn even more about the hosts and why we started Taxes for the Masses
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Aug 15, 2021
On Biden's Proposed International Tax Reform
In this episode, we discuss some of the more complicated international provisions of President Biden’s Made in American Tax plan, which could change the taxation of U.S. multinationals. The U.S. tax code currently allows U.S. multinationals to avoid or reduce the U.S. tax on some of their foreign earnings. Two of the guiding principles of the Made in American Tax Plan are reducing profit shifting by eliminating incentives for U.S. multinationals to offshore investment and ending the global race to the bottom. We discuss how President Biden proposes to achieve those goals.
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Aug 1, 2021
On the IRS Budget
In this episode, we discuss the recent history of IRS funding and how President Biden plans to arm the IRS with the resources it needs to take on aggressive corporate tax avoidance.
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Jul 18, 2021
On the IRS Data Leak
In this episode, we discuss the recent IRS data leak, how the wealthy avoid taxes, and the merits and drawbacks of a proposed wealth tax.
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Jul 3, 2021
TFTM Trailer
Learn more about the hosts and the goals of Taxes for the Masses
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Jul 1, 2021
On Biden's Proposed Corporate Tax Rate Increase
We discuss the good, bad, and ugly aspects of President Biden's proposal to increase the corporate tax rate to 28% as part of his Made in America Tax Plan.
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