Scott Brown, Tax Cheat?
We already know Scott Brown’s vision of taxes and public service. Brown’s on the side of the powerful and the wealthy and the big banks, but he doesn’t mind sticking it to the little guy, to the family struggling to cover their mortgage and save a little for their kids’ college education, the patriot who rushes to people in need.
We already knew Scott Brown was looking out for his fact cat backers. Now, as we learn how he treats his own employees, we see that he’s really just out for himself.
Scott Brown’s campaign wants you to believe they don’t have employees. According to his campaign finance reports, Brown pays his staff as if they were independent contractors. He doesn’t just pay his media and other consultants that way, he pays his lowest-level staff as if they weren’t really his employees.
Campaigns often use the services of people who are accurately classified as independent contractors. But it’s impossible for any major campaign to reach the final weekend of the race and, as the Brown campaign wants people to believe, not have employees. It may be true that the Federal Elections Commission doesn’t designate how campaigns designate their staffers. But the Internal Revenue Service does have specific rules on who can and cannot be classified an independent contractor. If a worker takes direct instructions on tasks, has hours mandated by the employer, uses facilities and tools supplied by the employer, or is working exclusively for that employer, they’re not an independent contractor, they’re an employee. [Look here;(pdf) for the kinds of questions the IRS asks to determine employee status.] By any reasonable standard, at this late point in the campaign, when workers are working exclusively for the campaign, are taking direct orders from the candidate or other staff, and where they are working in campaign headquarters, spending campaign money, using campaign equipment, and representing themselves as Brown’s campaign staff, they’re undoubtedly employees.
By paying his staff as contractors instead of employees, Scott Brown avoids any responsibility to be a good employer and provide them health insurance. That alone should be enough to disqualify him in the minds of many voters. But by paying his staff as contractors, Brown has also managed to avoid his responsibility to pay their payroll taxes. Brown has pushed his tax obligation off on to his employees, which is not only selfish, it’s also probably a violation of federal law.
It’s no surprise that Brown evaded questions about paying his staff as contractors, directing people to speak to his attorneys. And it’s no surprise his attorneys wouldn’t comment on the issue, because Scott Brown is almost certainly in violation of federal tax laws.
Scott Brown: champion of bankers and special interests, and tax cheat who pushes his obligations off on to his employees.
"it’s also probably a violation of federal law"
No....it's not.
Then why don't all employers do it?
It is against the law!
...is not law.
Brown would be breaking the law if he witheld taxes from someone without their permission. (if they claim themselves as an independent contractor)
...the only one responsible for your taxes...is you!
Brown proves that he will screw the average American over if it is to his benefit by these "loophole" actions.
Trust me, if you're paying someone for work, YOU are also responsible for making sure that you have correctly identified them as an employee if that person meets the IRS guidelines for an employee.
And if you want to go with "IRS code is not the law," then I'm assuming you also recognize that undocumented workers are not criminals, either. It's not against the law to be in this country without proper documentation (the term illegal alien is technically incorrect). It's just a violation of an administrative regulation.
Easy test.
If your "independent contractor" puts in at least 40 hours of work on your behalf, they're no longer "independent". They're you're employee.
Final Bush tally: 10,300+ DEAD
(3,000 on 9/11. 4,500 in Iraq, 1000 in Afg. 1,800 in Katrina.)
Debt: $11.3 Trillion
$4.00 gas; $147 oil.
Osama bin Laden still on the loose.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
The number of hours a week actually doesn't come into play.
It'll be a very sad day in Mass. and America if this sleazeball wins. The more that comes out about him the worse it gets. Regardless of Party affiliation this man has no right to receive a single vote. Republicans need to wake up. This would be like Democratic New Yorkers actually voting for Harold Ford. Big difference, New Yorkers are smart enough not to. I can understand voting for your party but this guy is BAD. Well, bad for Average Joe but great for Big Corp.
The reason the wingnuts want Brown to win so badly is because in electing him to the Senate, the GOP will finally do something they've waited years to do: Piss on Ted Kennedy's grave.
Nixon-Reagan-George W., says a lot about our country. Yes, the only state in 1972 won by George McGovern was Massachusetts. That nihilist, Brown, even has a chance says much about the Democratic Party...and it ain't good, folks.
This is an extremely sore point with me: I live in MA and am an independent contractor, doing freelance editorial services for book publishers. I've recently found out that a fairly recent MA law severely restricts people who can be classified as independent contractors; it goes further than the federal law, and has caused a few of my clients to stop using MA freelancers altogether. Brown may very well be violating state law. If he wins the election and Coakley stays AG, could she prosecute him, I wonder? (Coakley is well aware of the hardships the MA law is causing a large number of freelancers in MA and has written on the subject.)
That would be a sad irony. Coakley should hit him on wearing his army uniform in his commercials too.
How many other things will come along?
It's especially acute in the building trades and increasingly in tech and "information" industries like yours. The Obama administration did some good things early in the administration in tightening some rules and increasing enforcement on this stuff, but it's a pervasive problem.
writing the law in such a way as to nearly outlaw all independent contractors is a problem, too.
This will just make him look better in most Republican's eyes. After all, anything they can do to cheat the government of taxes or to make it tougher on the underlings is their preferred method of business.
so little good press on Coakley
I guess the media is trying to be fair and balanced. BWAHAHAHA!!!
Thank you, I'll be here all night and don't forget to tip your waitress.
Coakley is better than Brown...
but mainly because Brown sucks so hard he's working at creating his own gravitational singularity.
God and Jesus. You can support burning kittens and all you have to do if your looking for votes as a conservative is repeat those two word and the morons will vote for you.
How many more things are out there on this louse? The only things he campaigns on is 1) "lower your taxes" of which he has no control, alone, to guarantee, and 2) "change" which he sure CAN guarantee by being one the worse family values and legislative operatives ever.
If he ever gets elected it looks like he will spend all his time explaining/defending wrong doing. Time to demand a recall for his state senate seat, never mind U S Senator!
A corporatist should not be representing the people of America. How did this happen? Think about voting. always. Can i vote now? How soon can i vote? Why can't i vote more often? seriously!
I would bet Brown is in violation since his lawyers would not comment. However, some industries have lobbied well over the years and have long been exempt from those rules. Like real estate sales.
Even if he were not in violation of federal law, it's a shitty way to treat workers.
a single off year special election for one Senate seat hold the fate of an issue that the majority of Americans want i.e. health care reform (for what it is, mind you)? Doesn't this tell ANYONE that something is incredibly wrong with the system as it stands?
...are so screwed up that you need a supermajority to pass any law.
If the Senate operated as a more democratic institution, this race would matter far, far less.
I was made to give another set of rich white land owners a job and feeling of importance. The senate is irrelevant. We are already represented by our elected representatives, why do we need a senate?
I can assure you that Massachusetts is extremely picky about independent contractors. Like baystater, I'm now doing freelance work--proofreading and copyediting on what's basically a piecework basis--and the company for which I work has to claim me as an employee and go through all the tax paperwork and withholding.
Mugsy, forty hours a week has nothing to do with it under this new system (nor the old one, for that matter). The commonwealth's new rules are truly onerous, and I cannot imagine that anyone working on a campaign doesn't fall under their definition of employee.
That said, I don't expect Mr. Brown to face any problems. People like him seldom do.
A simple question;
Everyone agrees Medicare is facing a fiscal/solvency issue, which requires attention. What would you do
fix it?
And then watch him/her try and weasle an answer that doesn't offend Norquist, Palin or Tea Bag Seniors.
Putting employees as independent contractors is tax evasion. The IRS has very strict laws about who is/isn't an independent contractor. Your receptionist can't be an independent contractor.
By putting employees as independent contractors, Brown evades the payment of his portion of employment taxes. Independent contractors are forced to pay 'self-employment' tax in lieu of the employers contribution.
Prof Challenger
And as I pointed out above: MA's laws are even stricter than the federal laws. I hope Brown gets nailed hard on this!
for my "income" taxes...is me!
Anyone who pays someone else for a service (employee or contractor)
is forbidden by law to withold money from said employee or contractor unless that person agrees to having their money witheld and sent to the IRS!
Brown is not responsible for anyone elses taxes exept his own...
I'm sure all of the people who work for his campain, voluntarily identified themselves as "independent contractors". ...and wouldnt have it any other way!
it's not up to the individual to decide, apart from deciding whether or not to accept the job. There are laws governing these issues, and most employers and employees follow them.
because you don't know what you are talking about
Employees who don't qualify as independent contractors under the law can claim they are independent contractors from now until Gabriel blows his horn and they still will not BE independent contractors.
Scott Brown demonstrates what kind of person he is by screwing his workers over in this manner.
Scott Brown: champion of bankers and special interests, and tax cheat who pushes his obligations off on to his employees.
In other words, your typical, garden-variety, scumbag republiCON
"Me against the machine."
Ha. Ha. Ha.
Welcome to the machine, Scotty boy.
Sounds like Alex Jones asking the question..
The new polls say MC is back up in the polls!
Brown is just another sleazy ass, corporate owned, bribe-taking, law-selling politician.
..someone would file charge...oh wait, America (light bulb)! We don't go after politicians who break the law; we send them to Haiti.
Go away and never darken my towels again!
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