When the Fed's Open Market Committee meets today (Aug 9), its economists will doubtless produce reams of data and theory aiming to explain why GDP growth is fading fast. But there is a very simple - and disturbing - reason why the recovery is sputtering out: The damage we did to our economy during the housing bubble and subprime crisis was far too severe to be fixed by the weak steps our government has taken in response. We tried to cheap out on the repairs to our economy, and they haven't held up.
The leading example is the bank bailout. Only one-third of the TARP funds even went to banks. Instead of using the money to clean the toxic waste out of bank vaults, the Treasury bought just enough bank stock to prop up their share prices. And the money came with almost no stipulations about how the banks could use it.
As a result, the banks aren't back to normal, judging by their anemic lending. Their balance sheets are still stuffed with decaying loans, and they nurse along existing borrowers instead of looking for new ones. Sure, the big banks have all paid back the TARP funds with interest, but so what? Ask the millions of creditworthy people who can't find banks willing to finance their homes or businesses whether the chump change that taxpayers made from TARP was worth it.
Because TARP didn't really fix the banks, the Fed had to step in and take over many of the credit markets they pulled out of, such as commercial paper and mortgage securities. This forced the Fed to use all its financial strength simply to prevent these financial markets from collapsing. That effort used up virtually all the Fed's capacity to do its main job: stimulate the economy.
And then there's the $800 billion stimulus package. Only about one-third of that was actually new spending, which is what it takes to get the economy moving. And this money is spread out over several years, further weakening the power of its economic punch. Another third of the stimulus was in the form of tax cuts, which didn't stimulate the economy because most households used the tax cuts to pay back old loans rather than buy new things. The remaining third mostly tried to replace spending that would have otherwise declined due to unemployment and falling state tax revenues. That is beneficial, but it's no stimulus.
And finally, there is the mortgage relief program. What mortgage relief program, you ask? Exactly. The government bumbled through a series of small and ineffective programs that have created more frustration and dashed hopes than real relief. One of the first steps the government took was to request a voluntary moratorium on foreclosures, which only pushed the foreclosures off to this year. During the moratorium, it tried a voluntary program that refinanced exactly one mortgage during its first six months. The successor program didn't even start until May 2009 and actually tries to avoid reducing the amount the borrower owes. It's no wonder that struggling homeowners would rather negotiate directly with their lenders - or play the default game and stall for time before foreclosure and eviction.
After the buy-now-and-pay-later economy crashed, we chose a buy-now-and-pay-later recovery. Well, it's time to pay. Unfortunately, we can't simply put the programs in place now that we should have implemented back in 2008, such as removing the toxic assets from the banks and passing a true $1 trillion fiscal stimulus. Consumers and firms have moved on, and the economy has changed.
But more importantly, government lost the initiative to take strong action. The Fed committed its resources to supporting the mortgage market. And public sentiment, exemplified by the tea party movement, has turned against further fiscal stimulus. Now we have to pay for the damage by living with lackluster economic growth - maybe years of it.
Will there be a double-dip recession? Probably not - but that would be one of the best things that could happen. The government would once again have reason to take bold action - and get it right this time.
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label taxes. Show all posts
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Inept Repairs Leave Economy Stalling
Thursday, April 8, 2010
With Tax Deadline Looming Remember the Newer Nastier IRS
/PRNewswire/ -- As taxpayers finish their 2009 returns, one tax resolution attorney has a warning: Today's IRS is nastier than ever.
"Those of us who fight the IRS every day know this is not true. The US Treasury is desperate for cash and the IRS has been told to get tougher in collecting old debts," says Anthony E. Parent, founder of IRS Medic, Wallingford, CT (www.irsmedic.com).
According to Atty. Parent, the IRS has three new scary tactics:
New Revenue Officers
The IRS has hired many new and forceful Revenue Officers who will come to people's home, businesses or even to a Rotary Club meeting to find delinquent tax payers. "These Revenue Officers tend to be overly aggressive because they think that this will impress their superiors and get them promoted," he cautions.
Seizures of Personal Residences
For the first time, taxpayers' primary residences are up for grabs by the IRS. "The IRS is now willing to seize a taxpayer's primary residence if they feel there is enough equity to satisfy the tax obligation. They can be convinced to back off if you offer a reasonable collection alternative. It's not easy, but it's possible," says Atty. Parent.
Seizures of Retirement Accounts
In the past, the IRS would not seize retirement accounts, but that too has changed. "The IRS is getting bolder," says Atty. Parent. "They can and will wipe out a taxpayer's entire retirement savings if they feel they can collect enough money. There are legitimate ways to prevent this, but you need to know what you're doing."
The moral is anyone owing money to the IRS needs to be proactive and not wait for the IRS to come to them. "We've had clients who came to us after the IRS has pursued them. That makes helping them a lot harder. If someone comes to us early in the game, we have more options. Don't ignore the IRS. They have to send you a certified letter before they levy or seize your property, but people refuse to pick up those letters. And when the IRS takes aggressive action against them -- like wiping out a bank account or levying wages -- they were surprised. You do not want to be surprised by the IRS. It won't be pleasant and the longer you wait, the more shocking it will be."
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Monday, February 9, 2009
What You Need To Know About Dependents And Exemptions
(SPM Wire) It's that time of year again, when having dependents is a good thing for your wallet.
Before you claim all those dependents on your tax return, however, you need to make sure you're doing so correctly.
Here are some of the top things you'll need to know, from the experts at the IRS:
Dependents may be required to file their own tax return. Even though you are a dependent on someone else's tax return, you may still have to file your own tax return. Whether or not you must file a return depends on several factors, including: the amount of your unearned, earned or gross income, your marital status, any special taxes you owe and any advance Earned Income Credit payments you received.
Exemptions reduce your taxable income. There are two types of exemptions: personal exemptions and exemptions for dependents. For each exemption you can deduct $3,500 on your 2008 tax return. Exemptions amounts are reduced for taxpayers whose adjusted gross income is above certain levels, which is determined by your filing status.
Dependents may not claim an exemption. If you claim someone as a dependent, such as your child, that dependent may not claim a personal exemption on their own tax return.
Your spouse is never considered your dependent. On a joint return, you may claim one exemption for yourself and one for your spouse. If you're filing a separate return, you may claim the exemption for your spouse only if he or she had no gross income, are not filing a joint return and were not the dependent of another taxpayer.
Some people cannot be claimed as your dependent. Generally, you may not claim a married person as a dependent if he or she files a joint return with their spouse. Also, to claim someone as a dependent, that person must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. resident alien, U.S. national or resident of Canada or Mexico for some part of the year. There is an exception to this rule for certain adopted children.
For more information on dependents and exemptions, including whether or not you or your dependent needs to file a tax return, read IRS Publication 501, entitled "Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information" and available online at www.IRS.gov.
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