CELEBRITY TAX EVASION
Wesley Snipes Is At It Again
Your eyes do not deceive you — Wesley Snipes is making tax news again. We didn't plan to feature the same celebrity twice when we launched this tax fraud article series; after all,
back taxes and a three-year prison sentence. While Snipes may have served his time, he’s still struggling to pay back the IRS — though not as much as he’d like them to believe. Following his release from prison, Snipes sought an offer-in-compromise with the IRS, citing the astronomical costs of the back taxes. After assessing his properties and holdings, the government offered a settlement of $17.5 million. That may still sound like a whopping sum to us mortals, but hey, getting $6 million in debt swept away isn’t bad. Unfortunately, this deal wasn’t good enough for the former star of “Blade.” He offered the IRS just under $850,000. Despite this being just 4 percent of his debt, Snipes stuck to his offer, taking the IRS to court when they rejected this (relatively) paltry sum. The actor and his lawyers threw everything they could at the IRS, claiming the
agency was abusing its power and that paying even their reduced offer would create economic hardship for Snipes and his family. Despite these and other assertions, Snipes and his team could not provide any credible evidence and proved uncooperative in assisting any IRS attempts to more accurately assess the actor's holdings. Needless to say, the tax court didn’t buy Snipes’ claims and upheld the IRS’s reduced offer. For many, an offer-in-compromise can be a great avenue for a fresh start with the IRS. But as Wesley Snipes reminds us, you can’t just make a ridiculous offer and expect to get away with it. The IRS does their homework, and no matter how rich or famous you are, you won’t outsmart them.
SUDOKU Last year, we told the story of how Snipes’ willful ignorance of tax law led him to avoid paying taxes from 1999 to 2001, cheating the government of over $7 million. As most people are aware, the ensuing legal battle resulted in Snipes being saddled with $23.5 million in there are still plenty of other offenders to cover. But when the actor’s attempt to get out of his tax debt was shot down in U.S. tax court late last year, the details proved too good not to cover.
CHICKEN CHOP SUEY
For many, American Chinese food and New Year’s go together like turkey and Thanksgiving. Chop suey was one of the original items served by Chinese immigrants to their new neighbors, making it an important part of America’s culinary history. It’s also easy to make and delicious to eat.
Ingredients
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2 large or 4 medium chicken thighs
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2 teaspoons sugar
3 pounds bok choy, cut into 3–4-inch ribbons 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch, mixed with 4 tablespoons water 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
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Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
1. In large pot, boil three cups of water. Add chicken and reduce to simmer, cooking for 30 minutes. Remove chicken and let cool. Once cooled, remove skin and bones, chop, and set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid. 2. In a large skillet over high heat, heat vegetable oil. Once shimmering, add bok choy and cook for 1 minute, stirring throughout. Add half of reserved cooking liquid, cover skillet, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer bok choy to a plate. 3. Add remaining cooking liquid and chicken to the pan, maintaining high heat. Heat chicken, then add oyster sauce, sugar, cornstarch-and-water mixture, sesame oil, and bok choy. Season to taste, toss together, and serve over rice.
Inspired by The New York Times
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