A typical question I receive from families dealing with wrapping up the final affairs of a loved one is whether they are now responsible for the decedent's debts as survivors. Usually, the answer is no. In general, you only inherit the debt if you signed as a...
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Month: March 2018
Michigan Court of Appeals Reverses Judge’s “Trial Tax” Sentence
On March 22nd, 2018, the Court of Appeals released their decision in People v Pennington, __ Mich App __; __ NW2d __ (2018)(Docket No. 323231) holding that a Wayne County judge improperly sentenced the defendant to the top of the sentence guidelines on the basis of a...
Can I File Taxes As Head of Household?
The ability to file as Head of Household comes with significant tax advantages if you qualify. This filing status can lead to a lower taxable income which may result in a greater refund than if you filed as single or married filing separately. Unfortunately, the...
What Are The Penalties For Retail Fraud (“Shoplifting”) In Michigan?
Retail fraud, also known as "shoplifting", is a criminal offense where someone has defrauded or stolen from a store while it was open to the public. There are actually three ways that someone can commit retail fraud in Michigan. A person is guilty of retail fraud by...
Michigan Court of Appeals Holds Oakland County Circuit Court Should Have Shared Jurisdiction With India In Divorce Case
On March 8th, 2018, the Court of Appeals released their decision in Ramamoorthi v Ramamoorthi, __ Mich App __; __ NW2d __ (2018)(Docket No. 336845) holding that the Oakland County Circuit Court had subject-matter jurisdiction in a divorce case regarding marital...
Michigan Court of Appeals Holds Flint Mayoral Candidate Should Have Been Disqualified From All 2017 Electoral Races
On March 8th, 2018, the Court of Appeals released their decision in Gleason v Kincaid, __ Mich App __; __ NW2d __ (2018)(Docket No. 340239) holding that candidate William Scott Kincaid should have been disqualified from both the city council race and the Flint mayoral...
U.S. Tax Court Rejects Prisoner’s Petition For Lack of Jurisdiction
In a Memorandum filed March 6th, 2018 in Cedric v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo 2018-24, Docket No. 13716-14, the U.S. Tax Court rejected a prisoner taxpayer's petition and request for court-appointed attorney for lack of jurisdiction.Cedric Ray Allen has been continuously...
Michigan Driver Responsibility Fees To Be Eliminated By October 1st, 2018
On March 1, 2018, Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation into law eliminating the very unpopular Driver Responsibility Fee statute where the Michigan Secretary of State imposed additional fees on Michigan drivers for specific traffic offenses. After September 30,...
Michigan Retains Personal Exemption For State Income Tax
On February 28th, 2018, Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation into law that will retain the personal tax exemption for Michigan taxpayers. When President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "Act") into law last December, he enacted federal...
Michigan Court of Appeals Vacates Two-For-One Larceny Conviction
On February 22, 2018, the Michigan Court of Appeals released their decision in People v Williams, 323 Mich App 202; 916 NW2d 647 (2018), holding that the Defendant could not have been convicted of both Larceny From The Person and Larceny From A Building, all felonies,...
