My diary will be short but hopefully sweet. It appears that we are not the only ones who noticed that Palin did not declare any per diems as income on her taxes.
The state of Alaska is now reviewing her per diem payments.http://
(Note I posted this night before last but it was after midnight...not a good time to post but I thought it was important to bring it back)
This is from the Anchorage Daily News http://www.adn.com/...
State to review Palin per diem payments
By BRETT J. BLACKLEDGE
The Associated Press
Published: October 7th, 2008 03:36 PM
Last Modified: October 7th, 2008 03:36 PM
Gov. Sarah Palin's practice of charging the state when she stays in her home must be reviewed to determine if she should pay taxes on the payments, state Finance Director Kim Garnero said today.
Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, released two years' worth of tax returns last week that did not list the per diem payments she received since becoming Alaska governor in December 2006. She collected nearly $17,000 during that period for 312 nights spent in her Wasilla home, about an hour's drive from Anchorage, according to state travel records.
I am glad that the work on this blog and others got peoples attention in Alaska.... and I am sure the IRS. I wonder how the people that she is supposed to be managing like not having her in her office...we know she never meets with the legislators and they don't like that. Basically she has been paid to be absent.
But state officials consider changing an employee's work station when they spend most of their time in another area, she said. That review will occur for Palin, Garnero said, which may require Palin to report future per diem payments as income.
"That's something we need to confer with the governor's office on," said Garnero, who said she was not aware of the number of days Palin spent working in Anchorage.
This next part is my favorite. I wish my employer paid me for the weekends that I think about the business. I have never heard of anyone getting paid for every day of the year. Amazing that she had no other life....
A typical work year for most employees is 260 days in a calendar year, but Garnero said the governor's staff told her today that her work year is considered 365 days because she is on call around the clock. That would mean Palin spent about 43 percent of last year working in Anchorage, and would allow the governor to continue receiving per diem payments that aren't taxed when she stays at her home, Garnero said.
The IRS won't care if she is the governor of Alaska...they have their rules.
The final decision likely will be made by the Internal Revenue Service, said Allen Bingham, an Anchorage accountant and member of the Alaska Society of Certified Public Accountants' taxation committee. IRS officials could determine that Palin owes taxes on past and future per diem payments, Bingham said.
Bingham said Palin's situation is unusual because she claimed such a large number of days working away from Juneau, something that would typically raise red flags when considering whether the per diem should be considered income.
"It's certainly one of those things that some of us have raised our eyebrows about," he said.
Palin is confidently out there now bashing Obama but her reputation at home and subsequent problems with the IRS, troopergate etc are catching up to her.
Also, she talks about being someone to clean up government and instead takes advantage of it.
I must say I am glad and it feels like there is some justice happening.