Axelrod: Geithner Will Be Confirmed Despite Tax ‘Mistake’

As was expected, Obama and his administration is “imploding” even before he takes the oath. “Birds of a feather flock together”. Yeah, I’m proud of my new President….NOT! Hope these 4 yrs go by quickly so we can vote Obama and his coherts out of office!

Tax “mistake?” Can we tell it like it is: This guy is an arrogant TAX CHEAT – the word is CHEAT. An arrogant tax cheat who thought and still thinks he is above the law. This should be a wake up call for all tax paying Americans. There needs to be another Tea Party. “Mistake” – what a load of bulls@@t.

I’m surprised George was so easy on this subject. If it was a republican, he would have asked more intense questions cc this matter.
Did Tim only pay back taxes, or did he pay interest also? A normal person like myself would have to pay interest too.
He forgot about his taxes since 2001? If that was me, I wouldn’t have my house today. Does Tim?
How many other politicans are getting away with this? If you all recall, Connecticuts Senator just was caught receiving low interest rates he shouldn’t have received.
This cabinet looks very crooked.

How many every day, hard working Americans would be given the same pass as Mr. Geithner? Do you think you would be believed if you told the IRS that your failure to pay your taxes was just an oversight? This is the man who is going to run the treasury and yet he cannot figure out how much tax he owes? How can he possibly be fit for the job if he can’t even get his own taxes right?
This is yet another example of hypocrisy and bias from the media. If this were a Republican he would have been forced to withdraw his name. Because he is a Democrat he will get a free ride.
Sickening to be sure….

So much for standards and ethics.
There have been more than a few candidates, from both parties, for different positions who were raked over the coals and ultimately did not get the position or were forced to withdraw for exactly this sort of thing.
The idea that Mr. Geithner should be given a pass is an anathema.

George Will must have taken a sip or two of the koolaid. The Night of the Living Drones is upon us…

Geitner is just another typical privileged brat in Washington, thinking he can get away with cheating. Come on, what does he really think of his illegal house worker? Is that person not worth a legal SS number, or are they just cheap labor? How is it that we argue how great someone’s knowledge or skills are to out weigh what wrong they have done? Is it for the greater good? Where is the justice? It does not concern me if he is Democrat or Republican, but what kind of a person he really is, which looks like “Cheater”!

U.S. tax law does not require the IMF to withhold income tax and employee social security tax for its U.S. employees. However Code Section 1402(c)(2) required Mr. Geithner to pay self employment tax on his IMF salary.
Four years running, the IMF repeated informed Mr. Geithner of this tax obligation and even reimbursed him for a portion of the self employment tax he said he paid.
He’s nothing but a two-bit tax chiseler. It’s outrageous that he will supervise the IRS.

Before my husband got his IRS job the service looked at his back taxes. I can’t even get a job if it’s not on the books in fear of him losing his job. But, this guy can run the service. Double standards. This is one of many things to come for this administration. Buckle up.

George you are so predictable. Another lightweight interview about one of the golden childs chosen. I’m sure if this gentleman had an R behind his name you would be singing a different tune and suggesting an DOJ investigation is in order.

I’ve been practicing tax law for over 25 years, first as a CPA and then as an attorney.
In my experience, Tim Geithner did what many people who receive nonemployee compensation do – he reported the income on his tax return and, since he had a colorable basis for doing so, resolved the question of whether he owed Social Security taxes on that income in his favor, i.e., he assumed he didn’t owe Social Security taxes and didn’t pay them.
When he was audited, the IRS disagreed with his conclusion and he was billed for the Social Security tax, as well as for penalties and interest associated with it. Rather than fight the IRS, he paid.
What Mr. Geithner did not do, prior to his nomination, was pay Social Security taxes, penalties and interest for years that the IRS did not bill him for because they were outside the statute of limitations. In over 25 years of tax practice, I have never known anyone to ever pay taxes the IRS couldn’t impose because the statue of limitations had expired.
From a tax standpoint, I would consider Attorney General Nominee Eric Holder’s involvement in connection with the pardon of Marc Rich (who, after being criminally indicted on charges of tax evasion, was an international fugitive) to be much, MUCH more problematic.
And while it has nothing to do with taxation, Mr. Geithner’s continued employment of an immigrant whose work permit expired does show some rather extraordinary disrespect for the law. (If his family had become fond of the individual and they were concerned for her financial wellbeing, they could have lawfully made a monetary gift to her without expecting her to provide the family with housekeeping services in exchange.)
Indeed, from a tax standpoint, a much better question in Mr. Geithner’s case is why the IMF didn’t consider him an employee and withhold taxes in the first place.
But with respect to his actions in connection with his tax return, Tim Geithner essentially is “Joe the Plumber.” He truly did pretty much exactly what countless others do every day.

LOL, brilliant new strategy to get us to “spend” the money in the new stimulous package….they are going to dole it out a little each week!!!!!

Al Capone was a ganster who was involved in fraud, drugs, murder, and many other ‘ugly’ things. He awas convicted for not paying taxes.
Also, don’t forget Spiro Agnew. LOL

I am sending this as a concerned taxpayer regarding the confirmation of Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary. The current economic crisis demands that the next Treasury secretary possess superior competency as well as unquestioned integrity. If Mr. Geithner committed the following three acts I believe he lacks either the competency and/or the integrity to be the next Treasury secretary. 1.) Did Mr. Geithner request, fill out and sign a ‘annual tax allowance request’ form from the IMF in order to gross-up his salary for the purpose of paying his self-employed U.S. Social Security tax? 2.) While working at the IMF, did Mr. Geithner annually send checks to the IRS and State of Maryland for estimated income tax payments, and then fail to send a third check for his Social Security self-employment tax allowances? 3.) After a 2006 IRS audit, did Mr. Geithner pay his 2003 and 2004 Social Security self-employment taxes, and then delay the payment of his 2001 and 2002 Social Security self-employment taxes until he was nominated to be Treasury secretary? If the answer to these three questions is ‘yes’ I believe Mr. Geithner, by his actions and omissions, fails the smell test for both competency and integrity and should not be confirmed as Treasury secretary.

Gearge, are you kidding? “Common mistake” for a person to be in charge of IRS, in particular?
Is he completely unqualified, or just hoped to pocket a few thousand?