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Want to go to a strip club and have a few drinks?

Its likely youll first have to pay a tax, if a newly proposed bill becomes state law.

Calling it a sexually oriented business tax, Assemblyman Das Williams, D-Santa Barbara/Ventura, introduced a bill that would require a charge equal to $10 per customer who patronizes strip clubs that serve alcohol. The revenue collected from Assembly Bill 2441 would help fund vital services to victims of sexual and domestic violence, as well as cover the cost to process forensic exam (or rape) kits.

The bill states the fee would not be passed on to the entertainers, and it would be up to club owners to determine the manner in which they would pay the tax.

There is evidence that shows a nexus between (sexual) violence and strip club establishments, said James Joyce, spokesperson for Williams. There is an issue of funding being decreased, and there is definitely a need to fund these vital services.

According to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA), Californias 84 rape crisis centers served around 30,000 victims in 2011. The states general fund contributed just $45,000 to all rape crisis centers combined, equating to about $1.50 per rape victim. The federal budget has an additional proposed cut of $800,000 to the rape set-aside fund in the 2012/2013 budget.

Its essential we create a new funding stream, said Sandra Henriquez, executive director of CALCASA. There are many elements of society that encourage and foster sexual objectification, which is at the root of sexual violence. Were not saying strip clubs cause rape, but they contribute to its climate. A sexually oriented business tax sets precedents that take the public health approach, and can use this money to change awareness and attitudes and looking at those linkages.

Henriquez compared the bills public health approach to that of the states cigarette tax.

Opposition to the bill comes from the Association of Club Executives (ACE), CalSmallBiz, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and Taxpayers for Improving Public Safety.

While helping sexual assault programs is a noble cause ultimately, arbitrary and excessive taxes on citizens who like adult entertainment is but a steppingstone to tax other business, said Angelina Spencer, ACE executive director. If you tax each patron $10 per head to enter a strip club, how long will it be before an official decides its a great idea to tax every patron who walks into a bar to fund alcoholism recovery? When we recognize that most people are rational actors capable of weighing the consequences and benefits of their actions, the need for a Nanny State tax is diminished.

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New bill may tax strip clubs to pay for rape services

Are your taxes too high? When Gallup asked that question in April, tax month in the United States, 46 per cent said they were. An additional 47 per cent said their taxes were about right. Just 3 per cent said their taxes were too low.

This campaign season reflects that result. Mitt Romney, the Republican candidate, is offering a 20-per-cent tax cut for everyone. Given the mood of the conservatives in the United States today, that may not surprise you. But even President Barack Obama, who is routinely described as a socialist by his opponents, is peddling a plan under which 99 per cent of Americans would pay less than they did under the last Democrat in the White House, Bill Clinton.

This bipartisan agreement that the overwhelming majority of Americans should pay lower taxes than they did in the 1990s is remarkable for many reasons. For one thing, we are constantly hearing and it is true that U.S. politics is more polarized than ever. But unless you are a member of the 1 per cent, on this core issue there is a lot more consensus than you might think. Political strategists on both sides, it turns out, know how to read poll data.

But the really surprising thing about the no-more-tax consensus is how much of an outlier it makes the United States compared both with the rest of the world and with itself in recent history. When it comes to foreign policy or to global economic dominance, American exceptionalism may indeed be in jeopardy. But when it comes to taxes, the United States is quite different from most other Western industrialized economies.

According to the International Monetary Fund, in 2011, among the worlds 30 leading Western economies (plus Japan), only in New Zealand and in Japan was government revenue a lower share of gross domestic product than in the United States. Countries like Australia, Estonia, Ireland and Switzerland, which tend to favour low taxes and a small state, have government revenue that accounts for more of GDP than does the United States.

The Internal Revenue Service is relatively restrained, too, compared with recent history. In 1945, at the close of the Second World War, federal tax receipts were 20.4 per cent of GDP (expenditures, by the way, were 41.9 per cent, putting the federal budget deficit at 21.5 per cent, compared with 8.7 per cent in 2011). In 1952, the year the Republican Dwight Eisenhower was elected president, federal government revenue was 19 per cent of GDP. In 1988, the last year of Ronald Reagans transformational conservative presidency, the federal tax take was 18.2 per cent.

Compare those figures with that of today, when a Democrat is in the White House, nearly half of Americans think their taxes are too high, and both parties are promising to keep taxes low for all, or, in the case of the Democrats, 99 per cent of Americans. In 2011, government revenue was 15.4 per cent of GDP, lower than it was at any time during the Eisenhower or Reagan eras. Like anorexics, who think they are grossly fat when they are very thin, the American body politic is suffering from a national version of body dysmorphia, with nearly half the country believing taxes are high, when they are comparatively and historically low.

Thomas Mann, the Brookings Institution scholar and co-author of an influential new book on the polarization of U.S. politics, traces American thinking about taxes to the success of conservatives, particularly of the anti-tax crusader Grover Norquist, in steering the national conversation.

This is more of an elite phenomenon, Mr. Mann said. Its ideological. Its tribal now because of the Grover Norquist taxpayer pledge. Its as if Republicans, even if they think in more pragmatic terms, are not allowed to even consider raising taxes and certainly should be pushing at all times to cut taxes further Its become Scripture.

One cant talk rationally or on any evidence-based discussion of tax policy, he said. Its assumed cutting taxes always does good.

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Democrats lack backbone in their tax policies

Assets acquired as a result of gift or a will should be supported by proper certificates.

A visiting American certified public accountant (CPA) from Florida, while on a local Indian flight, met a Commissioner of Income Tax.

Their conversation veered to this topic of mutual interest: The commissioner's poser to the American CPA was regarding the search and seizure provisions under Income Tax regulations in the US.

The CPA was surprised to hear about the concept of search and seizure which is known to US taxpayers but is part of a criminal investigation and conducted a little differently.

In India, the Income tax raid sends jitters down the spine and makes the high income group dread tax authorities. Technically called a Search & Seizure, it is a plan of action devised by Tax officials with care and secrecy based on authentic information rather than rumour and gossip.

If the tax officials firmly believe that a person is in possession of money, jewellery or undisclosed assets that would necessitate a search operation, they may issue a search warrant after confirming the veracity of information.

It may be noted that merely living in posh houses or conducting lavish marriages or an expensive lifestyle may not be the basis for a search, information is the essential factor.

While the operations invade the privacy and freedom of the tax payer, they are exercised under statutory requirements and principles of natural justice.

During the course of the search, the taxpayer's rights include examining the search warrant, having two or more respectable citizens as witnesses, verifying the identity of the search officials, allowing children to attend school, calling a doctor for any emergency, having a copy of panchanama which is the first list of evidence and findings, and copies of the seized books of account, data and documents.

However, these rights do not include the right to call the auditor during the course of search or attend any phone calls.

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India, US systems of ‘search & seizure'

BETHESDA, Md. & ROSELAND, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Reznick Group, P.C., and J.H. Cohn LLP, two of the top-20 ranked accounting, tax and consulting firms in the United States, today announced plans to merge and become the 11th largest firm in the country with more than 2,000 employees, 25 offices and combined revenues of more than $450M.

Principals and Partners of both firms have agreed to the combination and terms. Pending final approvals, the merger is anticipated to take effect in September. The combined firm will also continue operations in the Cayman Islands and India.

The combination of these two great organizations immediately elevates us to a preeminent position on the East Coast with offices from Boston to Atlanta, provides a significant expansion in California, and establishes a national footprint with additional offices in Texas and Chicago, said Thomas J. Marino, Partner and Chief Executive Officer, J.H. Cohn. This combination of peers changes the landscape of the accounting industry by establishing a firm with an unprecedented concentration of industry experience in real estate, and highly specialized experience in areas such as renewable energy, hospitality, manufacturing and distribution, capital markets, government, construction, life sciences and technology, and valuations.

The synergies and opportunities this merger of equals brings to our clients and staff is nothing short of historic, said Kenneth E. Baggett, CPA, Reznick Groups managing principal and CEO. J.H. Cohn has very diverse clients across a wide array of industries. When combined with Reznick Groups deep knowledge of the affordable housing and commercial real estate industries, as well as the tax credit arena, the result is a firm that is a powerful resource for clients across all of their accounting, tax and consulting needs.

The merger also combines two firms with enterprising employee cultures built around giving employees the freedom and resources to chart their own career paths focused on creating new opportunities for themselves -- and for clients. Both firms have recently garnered recognition by industry and business publications for their excellence and commitment to their people, womens initiatives, and as best places to work. In addition, both firms have recently received major awards for their community involvement and leadership in the cities in which they live and work.

About Reznick Group

Reznick Group is a top 20 national public accounting firm providing accounting, tax and business advisory services to clients nationwide. The firm's industry experience includes affordable housing, banking and financial services, commercial real estate, government, nonprofits, professional services, renewable energy and technology. Reznick Group provides a high level of industry experience in helping clients gauge business trends and seize upon new opportunities while managing risk. The firm offers the resources of a large national accounting firm but maintains an enterprisingapproach that provides the flexibility to proactively meet clients needs in constantly changing economic climates. The firms commitment to industry knowledge and experience has helped clients succeed for more than three decades. For more information, visitwww.reznickgroup.com.

About J.H. Cohn LLP

One of the leading accounting and consulting firms in the United States, J.H. Cohn LLP specializes in audit, accounting, tax, and business consulting services for public and private companies and not-for-profit organizations. Since 1919, the firm's philosophy has remained constant: to provide a highly personalized approach to each client, with intelligent guidance and solutions driven by technical and industry expertise that positively affect client profitability and growth. J.H. Cohn has cultivated a reputation for strategic insight, proactive leadership, unwavering integrity, and a genuine concern for clients and their businesses. To help clients think and act across national boundaries, J.H. Cohn is an independent member of Nexia International, a global network of independent accountancy, tax, and business advisors and the tenth largest provider of audit and advisory services worldwide. The firm has offices in New York, California, Connecticut, and throughout New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.jhcohn.com.

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Reznick Group, J.H. Cohn LLP Announce Merger

Brussels (dpa) - The average employee in Greece will be earning almost 23 per cent less this year, a study by tax consultancy Ernst & Young and two conservative think tanks revealed on Monday.

The report, published by New Direction, a research organization linked to the British conservative partys caucus in the European Parliament, and the Brussels-based Institute Economique Molinari, calculated the tax burden for "typical workers" across the EU.

For Greece, it showed that real net salary - net of income tax, social security contributions and value-added tax - was expected to be just 13,167 euros (16,820 dollars) in 2012. Last year, the same report had calculated it to be 17,024 euros.

By comparison, the net salary in Germany was estimated at 23,690 euros this year.

Because of this contraction, the tax burden on Greek workers is due to fall significantly, one of the authors of the report, James Rogers, told dpa.

In 2012, the so-called tax freedom day for Greek workers - marking the day of the year in which they finally earn enough to pay all their annual taxes to the state - is due to fall on May 31. In 2011, tax freedom was achieved only on June 12.

The report confirmed Belgians to be the most heavily taxed people in the EU, with their tax freedom day falling on August 5. Germany was exposed as the fifth-highest tax-levying nation, with its tax-freedom day on July 12.

The tax burden was found to be lightest in Malta, Cyprus, Ireland and Britain, where tax freedom falls between April 11 and May 12. dpa alv ncs Author: Alvise Armellini

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Average salary in Greece down 23 per cent in 2012, tax study finds