THE CHEATING OF AMERICA Think Enron and Andersen Are Exceptions? Think Again.
The Enron-Arthur Andersen scandal exposes, among other things, the shady world of tax evasion. Enron paid no income tax in four of the past five years -- it was able to transfer its assets among 881 subsidiaries that were set up abroad in tax-sheltered countries. Enron is not alone. Every year, thousands of the biggest corporations and the wealthiest individuals pay no income tax, thanks to help from accounting companies, law firms and Wall Street brokerages -- and often with a wink and nod from Washington. The result: the rest of us must cover for the tax dodgers: $195 billion annually, or $1,600 per taxpayer. THE CHEATING OF AMERICA, a book by Charles Lewis, Bill Allison, and the Center for Public Integrity (Harperperennial Library), takes a hard look at this tax-shirking epidemic and reports that the IRS is decreasing enforcement and prosecution. READ OUR OP AD: http://www.tompaine.com/op_ads/opad.cfm?ID=5060 ===