“And the Award Goes To . . . .”

Right now, all across America, thousands of talented youngsters are dreaming of careers in performing arts. Whether they aspire to be the next Meryl Streep, or Taylor Swift, or Lin-Manuel Miranda, they understand the odds of success are long. But they still dream that...

Taxing the Roses

Racing horses is just a very expensive hobby for most owners.  Every year on the first Saturday in May, an enormous crowd of socialites, “turf investors,” and people just looking for a party descends on Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby....

The Taxing History Behind Cinco Day

Americans are great at taking perfectly serviceable holidays and turning them into excuses for parties. On St. Patrick’s Day, millions of Irish-for-a-day drinkers belly up to their favorite fake Irish bar to down pints of Guinness and shots of Jameson. Next on...

Tax Loopholes

We’ve just made it through our annual exercise in self-flagellation known as “tax filing season.” And who’s fault is that? Don’t blame the IRS, blame the Congress that wrote the four million-odd words that make up the tax code. So...

Tax Theory

In 1935, Americans were mired in the depths of the Great Depression. Gross domestic product had shrunk from $103.6 billion in 1929 to $73.3 billion. Unemployment stood at a horrendous 20.1%. Even the suicide rate was higher during those dark years. And on February 6th...

What Would You Do for a Klondike Bar?

In 1982, Unilever came up with a catchy jingle to sell Klondike bars, a sort of Eskimo pie without a stick: “What would you do for a Klondike Bar?” The challenges weren’t especially grueling. Would you make monkey sounds? Act like a chicken? In one...