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OCTOBER 2021 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 10
TOPH’S TAX RESOLUTION T IMES
513-342-4000 WWW.513TAX.COM
DINOSAURS, UNICORNS, AND A COSTUME SURPRISE Happy Halloween From the Sheldons!
When I’m writing these newsletters, I usually leave the family updates to Ashley on Page 3 and make sure my articles are all business. My goal is to give you actionable tips and advice that will help you with your tax problems. But this month, I couldn’t resist changing things up. Writing about Halloween is just too tempting!
of her list. I can understand the costume mania. One year when I was little, I absolutely insisted that I dress up as a penguin. My mom ended up sewing the outfit herself to make me happy! For our kids, sometimes the process of costume selection feels like an even bigger deal than Halloween itself, but the day is never a letdown. Our neighborhood is very kid-friendly, and I’m sure Mac, Rex, and Roz will accrue plenty of candy this year
As you can imagine, with four young ones in the house (and a fifth on the way as I write this), Halloween is an extremely chaotic holiday. It’s also one of my favorite events of the year because the kids get extremely excited about it. In the weeks leading up to Oct. 31, they spend days choosing their costumes and dreaming, scheming, and fine-tuning them to perfection.
during our trick-or-treating adventures. Usually we circle the cul de sac and visit 30 or 40 houses full of festive neighbors. Holidays are a big deal in our neighborhood, so even the adults get in on the fun, dressing up and passing out celebratory drinks and snacks from coolers as the kids wander to and fro. For the past few years, Ashley and I have been too busy keeping all the kids in line to dress up ourselves, but I think that will change this Halloween. I’m
Usually, these costumes are very well thought out and specific. For example, last year, our older sons both wanted to be different species of dinosaur. They have a sophisticated level of dinosaur knowledge, so they knew exactly what their outfits should look like, down to the number of toes on their feet and the length of their tails. Usually Ashley and I do our costume shopping at Amazon and Target, so we had to improvise a little bit to satisfy them. You can check out the photo on this page to see if we succeeded! Roz, our oldest daughter, is getting to the point where she can choose her costumes, too. For the last few weeks, she’s been trying to choose which pink and girly creature to dress as. She’s obsessed with the color pink and Disney’s “Frozen” movies, so princess Elsa and a unicorn are near the top
planning to get a costume for the first time in ages and play the part of the cool dad. As I write this, I haven’t decided what I’ll dress up as yet, but I’m feeling inspired. It will definitely be something unique! If you’re reading this before Halloween, feel free to email your last- minute costume suggestions to me at Toph@513Tax.com. And if you missed reading my tax stories and advice on this page, turn to Page 2 or Page 4. I still have you covered.
From my family to yours, happy Halloween!
–Toph Sheldon
WHEN THE IRS COMES KNOCKIN’ ... LET US ANSWER THE DOOR!
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How ‘The Outsiders’ Provides an Unconventional Road Map What if you could harness the knowledge and skill possessed by some of the world’s top CEOs — specifically eight of them? With investment expert and author William N. Thorndike Jr.’s “The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success,” you can. After years of analyzing investments and the companies behind meteoric climbs on Wall Street, Thorndike has compiled stories, lessons, and tactics used by eight CEOs whose methods and beliefs don’t mirror those of other leaders — unconventional leaders like Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson or SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, whose companies’ growth speaks volumes for their methodology. Thorndike examines the successes of various business leaders, like pet food company Ralston Purina’s CEO or Berkshire Hathaway’s top leader, to discover what makes these companies so successful, even as they quietly grow. Through his storytelling and deep-dive into the mindsets of these CEOs, Thorndike offers readers various perspectives on a different way to amass success. Thorndike also illuminates how many of these top business minds were quietly outpacing their loud, celebrity-like counterparts. For example, frugality is a major component of their success, while most others view a singular metric as the biggest determining factor in their company’s long-term success. Together, many of these top CEOs often value the human elements of their business, attributing the people they have working for them as one of the most important parts of their company growth. As you read through the various lessons and experiences of these CEOs, you find models emerging. Some of the tactics may work for you, while others prove that unconventional methods were never out of the box to begin with. All told, Thorndike’s “The Outsiders” is a reminder that sometimes the quiet ones make the most progress. You can learn more about Thorndike’s book at Goodreads.com, or you can find it on Amazon.com or your favorite bookstore. TAP INTO A SUCCESSFUL CEO’S MIND
Toph’s Secret Tax Fear
1 Thing I’m Afraid of — and 3 Things You Shouldn’t Be!
Since it’s almost Halloween, I have a secret to share with you: I used to be afraid of the IRS. Years ago, I had my own financial difficulties, much like the tax problems you might have faced. During that time, I was terrified of getting letters from the IRS. I didn’t want to hear from them, call them, or face them at all. Resolving my debt wasn’t enough to cure my fear. What finally did it was starting this business. When I stand up to the IRS on behalf of someone else and fight for their rights and livelihood, my fear disappears. To this day, I don’t like getting letters from the IRS myself, but seeing letters sent to people like you makes me spring into action! I’m sharing my fear with you because I’m guessing you have it, too. Most of our clients come to us with three specific fears. Fortunately, we can take care of all of them. Fear No. 1: Talking to the IRS We understand this fear completely! Fortunately, one of the benefits of working with us is that we’ll take over this task. You won’t have to talk to the IRS again. Fear No. 2: The IRS Taking Your Home or Property This situation is extremely rare, and if we’re helping you with your tax problem, we make sure protecting all our clients’ assets is a top priority. When we take on a new client, we usually reach out to the IRS on their behalf within 24 hours. This ensures we are able to take the IRS off of the offensive, keeping your property safe. Fear No. 3: The IRS Emptying Your Bank Account The IRS is more likely to attack your bank account and garnish your wages than seize your home, but we can prevent them from doing that, too. To save yourself stress, before opening any mail from the IRS, we recommend you contact us first. IRS notices are often out of date or even incorrect, so there’s no need to elevate your stress unnecessarily. Just pass it on to us unopened, and we’ll take care of it.
In my experience, understanding your fear and knowing its likelihood can help you overcome it. Hopefully, this article puts you on that path with your own IRS fears!
–Toph Sheldon
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Ashley’s Corner
2 Fall Activities for the Whole Family!
Burger Farm & Garden Center (BurgerFarms.com) Last fall, my mom came down from New York for the weekend, and we went to Burger Farm & Garden Center’s Fall Fun at the Farm for the first time. The
October is my birthday month, and I absolutely love the fall season. This year, I’d already bought my pumpkin spice candles by August! Now that it’s finally October, I’m looking forward to all of the fun pre-Halloween activities Toph and I do with the kids every year, like pumpkin picking, visiting local farms, jack-o’-lantern carving, baking pumpkin seeds, and eating my mom’s amazing grape pie. Below, I’ve shared two spots we always visit. The kids love them, and I bet your family will, too! Blooms & Berries Farm Market (BloomsandBerries.com) This is by far our favorite pumpkin patch, and we’ve gone every year since Mac was born — including when he was too little to do anything but get a photo next to a pumpkin! The farm offers tractor rides out into the pumpkin patch, and they also have games for kids, a giant pumpkin- shaped bounce pad, a corn maze complete with scavenger hunt, and slides made of upcycled farm materials. The kids and I also love watching the goat races they put on, which are as cute as they are hilarious! There are other farm animals to see, too, like ducks, chickens, cows, and even peacocks. For adults, Blooms & Berries has plenty of food, and they even have beer and live music on the weekends.
kids loved it! They have a pumpkin patch, a huge pile of hay bales to climb on, a maze, a zipline, plenty of rides, and even paintball guns. (As you can imagine, Mac and Rex thought those were great.) We can’t wait to go back! Halloween and all of this fall fun is going to be a little bit different this year since our new baby is arriving any day. My due date is Oct. 24, just one day away from my birthday. If I’m lucky, I may end up with a birthday twin to share my love of fall!
Happy pumpkin picking!
Take a Break
SLOW COOKER SQUASH, KALE, AND SAUSAGE SOUP This healthy, savory soup is the perfect lunch for a cool fall day.
Ingredients
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1 tbsp vegetable oil
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Salt and pepper, to taste 4 cups chicken broth 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp Italian seasoning 3 cups kale, chopped 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
4 Italian chicken sausages, sliced to bite-size pieces
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6 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
6–7 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
Directions
1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage and cook 4–5 minutes, stirring often, then remove from the pot and set aside. 2. Add garlic and onion to the pot. Sauté 4–5 minutes. Add squash, salt, and pepper. Sauté 8 minutes. 3. In a slow cooker, combine sautéed vegetables, sausage, chicken broth, and seasonings. Cook on low heat for 3 hours and 30 minutes. 4. Open the pot and add the kale. Cook another 20 minutes, then add the red wine vinegar and stir to combine. Cook 10 more minutes, then serve and enjoy!
Solution on Page 4
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Cincinnati Tax Resolution Powered by Toph Sheldon 9200 Montgomery Rd., Ste. 7B Cincinnati, OH 45242
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513-342-4000 513TAX.COM
INSIDE 1
Happy Halloween From the Sheldons!
2
‘The Outsiders’: A Model for Success
Toph’s Secret Tax Fear
3
Ashley’s Corner
Slow Cooker Squash, Kale, and Sausage Soup
4
Chuck Berry’s Fall From the White House to the Big House
TOPH’S TAX NIGHTMARES
Chuck Berry Played for the President — Then the IRS Sent Him to Jail
On June 7, 1979, the famous rock-and-roll singer/guitarist Chuck Berry performed at the White House for President Jimmy Carter. He was there as part of a benefit for the Black Museum Association and no doubt played his biggest hits, including “Wee Wee Hours,” “Maybellene,” and “Roll Over Beethoven.” It was a shining moment for Berry’s career, but the high didn’t last long. Five days later, he pled guilty to federal charges of tax evasion. He was sentenced to four months in jail and 1,000 hours of community service. Berry’s tax violation wasn’t small potatoes. He purposely avoided paying almost $110,000 in federal income taxes in 1973, the same year, a young Bruce Springsteen opened a concert for him and Jerry Lee Lewis in Maryland. Chuck Berry’s musical career was inspirational. He won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1985, was the first musician inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and is known as The Father of Rock and Roll. Unfortunately, his tax evasion and other crimes — including burglary, car theft, drug possession, and child abuse (the result of child pornography) — tarnish his legacy. Most of us don’t have nearly as much to lose as Chuck Berry, who was worth an estimated $20 million when he passed away in 2017. Still, his story reminds us all not to waste what we do have by purposefully flouting the IRS. The potential “rewards” are never worth the fallout.
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WHEN THE IRS COMES KNOCKIN’ ... LET US ANSWER THE DOOR!
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