RSSJohn Kerry, Never Met a “Sails” Tax I didn’t Like, Unless I had to Pay It Myself
Ever wonder why Congress has a confidence rating of 11%? They earned it!
Massachusetts Senator John “I voted for it before I voted against it” Kerry seems to have finally met a tax he did not like. In this case its a “SAILS” tax, not a sales tax.
John Kerry, the artful dodger
According to the Boston Herald, Kerry has avoided a six-figure state tax bill on his new multimillion-dollar yacht by mooring her in Newport, RI. But of course Kerry denies any wrong doing. Think you or I would get the benefit of the doubt in a matter like this? It is obvious what the intent is by docking the boat in Newport.
But instead of berthing the vessel in Nantucket, where the senator summers with the missus, Teresa Heinz, Isabel’s hailing port is listed as “Newport” on her stern.
Could the reason be that the Ocean State repealed its Boat Sales and Use Tax back in 1993, making the tiny state to the south a haven – like the Cayman Islands, Bermuda and Nassau – for tax-skirting luxury yacht owners?
Cash-strapped Massachusetts still collects a 6.25 percent sales tax and an annual excise tax on yachts. Sources say Isabel sold for something in the neighborhood of $7 million, meaning Kerry saved approximately $437,500 in sales tax and an annual excise tax of about $70,000.
But of course it was a different story when a Republican did a similar thing. The sad reality is that the “life styles of the rich and famous” John Kerry know exactly how to skirt the tax code. While folks like Kerry inflict taxes on the “little people,” they have an army of layers and accountants to help them skirt those very same taxes.
And state Department of Revenue spokesguy Bob Bliss confirmed the senator “is under no obligation to pay the commonwealth sales tax.”
But back in 2006, then-gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos took some flack for avoiding some $23,000 in Bay State sales tax and $1,320 in local excise taxes by berthing his motor yacht in Rhode Island. But Mihos paid just $475,000 for his 36-foot vessel Ashley and readily admitted that he used the boat at his West Yarmouth summer home.
However, according to Bliss, if Kerry berths the Isabel in Massachusetts waters within six months of purchasing the boat, there’s a “presumption of use” and the Heinz-Kerrys would have to walk the plank and pony up to the Bay State. After six months, should the boat change its berth to, say, Nantucket, then it’s up to the state to go after them for the taxes, Bliss added.
Posted July 23, 2010 by Scared Monkeys Government, Polls, Tax & Spend Liberals, Taxes, We the People, WTF | 19 comments |
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19 Responses to “John Kerry, Never Met a “Sails” Tax I didn’t Like, Unless I had to Pay It Myself”
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That’s why people are sick of Congress.. they have one set of rules for themselves and another for all of us.. They should have to live by the same rules as us..including the Health Care Plan, since they think it is so great..
Funny one I read of Biden’s.. today.. They keep him hid for the most part it seems.. 3 million more working in all those new govt. jobs? More fake numbers.. then he goes on to say Government isnt the answer…what a joke! I would like for him to tell us about the new industries.. I would also like to know what part of the financial system is stabilized?!
We stabilized the financial system,” Biden said. We were on the brink of a depression … We avoided a total economic meltdown,” he said. “There are 3 million [more] Americans working today than there were before we took office.
“Barack and I are realists,” the vice president added. “Government is not the answer. But we also know we can plant seeds. These seeds that have been planted have generated whole new industries.”
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/110535-biden-the-heavy-lifting-is-over
comments after aren’t much in favor of Biden either.
BARACK AND YOU ARE IDEALISTS.
Another TAX CHEAT! Impeach him!
So, next you’re going to come out against the repeal of the estate tax and for letting the Bush tax cuts (for the richest taxpayers) expire.
I think the thing to do is pick a side and hold to those principles, not just be outraged at everything even if they represent opposing perspectives.
No one wants to be called a hypocrite (too often).
p.s. – What about off-shore corporate tax havens? Quick, pick a side now!
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SM:Once again we have a liberal that cannot stay on topic about one off their crony SU Senators. Kerry has no problem raising raising taxes on others and telling others that need to pay more, but when it comes to Kerry’s own money … he hides it in a tax shelter. I bet the people of MASS could have used the $400,000 Kerry swindled them out of.
But for libs like Kerry, taxes are for the common folk, not for he.
Please put down your Obama Democrat talking points and spare us. Every one benefitted from the GWB tax cuts, not just the rich.
Tax havens …. like for the Democrat millionaires?
Um, is John wearing a suit jacket and tie with swimming trunks? Or did he just pull of his pants and it flashing his undies???
Maybe some of the liberals in the Northeast will begin to wake up and understand that their political class are stepping all over them while escaping as much taxation as possible.
John Kerry is a worthless politician that will do anything to make himself look good or to put money in his pocket.
AS IF John Kerry really needed to hide that $437.5k in taxes…. anyone care to venture a guess what Teresa Heinz Kerry is worth these days? Millions upon Millions. Perhaps to assess the Heinz-Kerry’s as only Millionares may be a bit of an understatement.
In any regard, it’s pretty funny when even the people in MASS tell Kerry jokes all the time and he is made fun of on a constant basis. He’s an an embarrassment. Peculiar as well-he keeps getting elected . Just have to say,,,,when I either want to just laugh at the guy or call him a Libteral jabbering Idiot, he somehow comes up with something positive for the State of Mass he gets behind & actually becomes somewhat likable as a Human Being again. Either way, Kerry always ends up confusing me in so far as his overall rating on his job performance as one of my Us Senators. Bottom Line=really can’t stand the guy but I always come back to the same conclusion- crappy, typical Lib Politician who is a Millionare and a complete hypocrite, but also continues be successful in appealing to the masses of this bright blue State…ugh!
(Translation= Just another typical Lib Dem Politician & accomplished BS Artist w/an affable personality)
Thurston B. Howell, III and Lovey in da houuuuuse!
Where are those yummy drinks with the umbrellas that I ordered, Loveyyyyyy?
This sailing the seas business is fun… but the service is downright appalling.
#4-SM,
It’s almost funny; post #1 seems to have gone off topic, yet gets no push-back.
Is it possible my comment hit too close for comfort, and simply dismissing it was easier than addressing what it had to say?
Technically, everyone did benefit from the Bush tax cuts, as you said. However, the degree of that benefit varied widely based on income level. The median cut in 2003 was $470.
The bottom 23% got an average of $8; which although is an actual tax cut, it wouldn’t even buy them a single tank of gas. How much help did they really get?
No one below the bottom 65% broke $1000, reaching a maximum of $825 average. That’s a little bit more money, but barely one house payment or two car payments for many people.
To get into the serious money, you can look at the top 3 tiers, which represent 1.6%, .3% and .1% of taxpayers. Their average cuts were $7173, $22,485, and a whopping $112,925 respectively.
So, yeah; every income taxpayer got something, mathematically speaking. But the average person looking at these numbers will understand that these tax cuts were primarily for the rich. It’s just that simple and obvious.
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SM: The bottom 23rd pay no taxes.
#9-SM,
In response to #4 you said: “Every one benefited from the GWB tax cuts, not just the rich.” Now you say something different. Confusing. For my part, I was just offering stats to compare to your statement.
BTW, your assertion that the bottom 23% pay no taxes is incomplete and incorrect. All wage earners pay taxes, in the form of Social Security and Medicare. If that was the only tax they paid, they received no benefit from income tax cuts.
But what about the highest income earners? You conveniently avoided commenting on the breaks handed out to these well-off taxpayers. Can you really say they are not the group getting the largest tax cuts; that is the money primarily going to the richest?
Which brings us back to Kerry/Heinze; they are surely in this well-off group. If they deserve the Bush tax cuts as part of that group, why can’t they get other tax benefits that your article describes. Its all part of the law; what could be wrong with that? I’m not saying I agree with these laws, but I am consistent that they are both providing benefits to primarily wealthy individuals. To split my support between them, supporting Bush tax cuts and opposing “sails” taxes would brand me a hypocrite, which I, for one, am not!
p.s. – did you forget about post #1?
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SM: No, actally the people you are referring to get money back and tax credits back at year end so the reality is they do not pay anything.
You really are missing the big picture, conveniently. If you actually think that people who own small businesses who make $250K a year are the same as the million and billion dollar folks like John Kerry, you are being dishonest.
Kerry plays tax shelter games while the people that Obama thinks are evil, those making over $250K should be punished.
#10-SM,
It would be enlightening to see evidence of how those taxpayers, after recouping on their return any income tax paid through wages, and are therefore only paying FICA-type taxes, get any type of refund of those taxes, or other tax credits beyond current year taxes paid that became an actual refund vs. a different year tax credit (roll-forward/backward).
Who said anything comparing those at $250K vs. millionaires/billionaires? I don’t believe that was I! The same for small businesses; I’ve never referred to them. But lets talk about this group.
Say anyone; small business or salaried taxpayer has exactly $250K taxable income. So far, no changes under Obama plans (my presumption that he holds to pledge to not raise taxes below this income level). Now this taxpayer has a good year, somehow, and taxable income is up $100K. Good for them! If I understand letting the Bush tax cuts expire (above 250K), there will be an additional 3-4% tax on the marginal taxable income of $100K, of $3K-4K. Now we have a taxpayer that with an overall taxable income of $350K, has the new burden of a few thousand dollars. I believe you call this punishment. Really? Who among us wouldn’t be glad to be this taxpayer. A few thousand dollars?
And of course we’re taking taxable income, where the level of deductions would reflect gross income of tens or hundreds of thousands dollars more for the taxpayer. I can’t imagine a small business without a good accountant or tax attorney at these income levels that would significantly improve their available income well above the taxable level. Again, for a few thousand dollars more. I get the feeling that the general discussion about taxpayers breaking the $250K level has not had a great deal of solid information presented so it becomes well understood who this applies to. Joe the Plumber was not what many believe him to be.
Regarding tax shelters, isn’t it typical for any high income taxpayer to use shelters to avoid taxes. Unpatriotic corporations who scam the government and us by using offshore mail drops as their headquarters to avoid US income taxes are criminals from my perspective. The same hold true for individual taxpayers, like Kerry/Heinze. So I admit I believe there are ways to avoid taxes that should be paid, from “sail” taxes to corporate taxes to rolling back the Bush tax cuts. But I find it hard to consider any of this punishment; I think that those who greatly benefit from our country and society have an obligation to give back to that which provided a place for them to prosper.
I still wonder if you have a consistent view of taxes from all corners and for all taxpayers.
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SM: TROLL, get back on topic … John Kerry is an an evil US corporation … he is a US Senator passing laws that put taxes on others. taxes that he avoids. Get back on topic or all your comments will be deleted.
Dear SM,
BlogTalk has obviously never owned a business or had to pay taxes outside of a paycheck (all that handled by employer). One year, my husband’s business grossed over 100K, BUT…once we had paid all insurances, the quarterly business tax, the federal tax monthly for the employees (employer pays half of that out of pocket), and the employees themselves, we had made less than 50K in adjusted income. Blogger doesn’t see that. We also paid 1/2 of each employee’s federal tax, unemployment tax which didn’t apply to US when there was no work. So…I do not feel rich, but would appreciate any tax cut since we no longer can afford employees and have to take smaller jobs to survive. The “little guys” like us cannot simply move our taxed assets to another location. We are stuck.
Also, we did NOT get money back that year. We paid out also in personal property tax while our employees averaged tax returns of over 2K. Funny how the “rich” are paying all the taxes, but those unaware of the facts who work for the rich still complain. I find that odd.
SM…I got spammed again
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SM: Saved another from the dreaded spam folder.
R
He paid the taxes before he evaded them.
#12-Brenda,
If permitted, I’d like to reply to you that our family has used schedule C several years, and I was an independent consultant paying full FICA taxes myself, so I’m a little aware of these things.
You’re story shows how the rich like Kerry live under different rules. It is very much like what I was describing. The rich like Kerry benefit from choosing how to get tax laws to work for them. With your net income below 50K, you were limited to a maximum 2003 tax cut of under $1000, while the rich like Kerry netted anywhere from tens to hundreds of thousands of tax cuts. So while Kerry can avoid much more of his taxes, you can’t, and are therefore subsidizing his tax cuts. It isn’t fair, and something should be done.
#14- Sully- please stop drinking the Kool-Aide, it is obviously affecting your brain. Heelllooo, anybody home??? Why should anyone here continue wasting our time explaining General Accounting and Tax Law 101 to yet another Moonbat?
Go educate yourself and do NOT quit your day job either, bc you are not even remotely funny. Get lost, Troll.
NGBoston,
I have no idea why you took umbrage at my post, but fear not: I will keep my day job so I can contribute to the U.S. tax revenues, unlike at least one pompous, hypocritical, unaccomplished senator I can think of.
#17-Sully, now that I re-read your post, I actually have no idea why I took umbrage with your post either. Please accept my apology as I misread.
We agree that Kerry is everything which you described. Sorry again. =(
Blogmoron – You need to go back to a basic economic class and learn that the top 1% of those who have had cuts under Bush are the ones that create jobs.
What rock are you living under?
Here’s a story for you about how the expiration of the tax cuts and how it will hurt families; mainly middle class families:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/07/28/expiration-bush-tax-cuts-cost-families-thousands-study-shows/
It is going to cost us THOUSANDS and then on top of it; take a look at the tax increases to hit in January 2011.
You have no clue and no argument like the typical left winged libtard you are. Typical.
BTW, almost 50% of Americans do not pay federal income tax so argument is WEAK.
Also, BTW, CBO just came out and said our debt is almost equal to our GDP….Think about that one for a second; from the main who has amassed $1TRILLION in debt in just 7 months.
Get bent.
Get a clue!