Life
Essays

Although the majority of Americans view tax season as an annual burden that is more bother than benefit, America's ascendancy to the realm of undisputed superpower was fueled by the willingness of its citizens to contribute as individuals for the sake of the whole. For many, however, tax preparation can become a dreadful experience defined by ignorance of the law and inexperience with financial matters, and every April millions of unsuspecting Americans are duped by duplicitous tax preparation services. By manipulating the information entered into an individual's tax forms, or neglecting to inform a client about possible refunds and other benefits that they are rightfully due, nefarious tax preparers can easily defraud the unsophisticated taxpayer out of thousands of dollars, inflicting dual damage on both the individual victim's pocketbook and the federal government's coffers. With the recent national recession reminding the IRS and individual taxpayers alike that disposable income is a luxury to be treasured, revisions made to Circular 230 have been made to tighten regulations on unethical tax preparation experts, and to reduce the risk posed by negligent and unqualified tax preparers. As recent testimony delivered to the U.S. House of Representatives, during a meeting of the Committee on Ways and Means' Subcommittee on Oversight, Representative Jim Ramstad expressed the situation thusly, explaining that "the individual most responsible for claiming tax refunds is not the individual taxpayer but rather a professional tax preparer … (and) unfortunately, taxpayers receive little or no guidance on how to avoid a bad or unscrupulous preparer. Tax preparers are not licensed by the IRS … and although the IRS administers a detailed set of rules that governs tax practice, known as Circular 230, hundreds of thousands of income tax preparers are not covered by these rules" (2005).

This paper examines the effect of maternal depression and other mental health issues on the development of a child. The first section of this article evaluates five research journals conducted on the topic regarding risk factors, impact, and probable interventions for the health issues. The other part provides a personal reaction and thoughts regarding these articles.

The constitution facilitates peaceful existence among citizens and government. This paper discusses due process and its application as outlined in the United States constitution. It features procedural due procedures, substantive due treatment and equal protection as applied in the related amendments. It provides a definition of due process as well as the existing differences.

In Victorian England, when Bram Stoker wrote Dracula, the vampire was used as a symbol for, among other things, society's sexual taboos, including overt female sexuality. Nowhere is this idea better explored than in the…

In 1839 the United States was bitterly divided over the issue of slavery. The House of Representatives had enacted a gag order which effectively blocked any anti-slavery legislation from being discussed.

In answering the question of whether the United States has improved on environmental policy since the 1930s, the cyclical nature of the political system must be considered. A generational reform cycle occurs every 30-40…

Cigarette smoking kills, and where it does not, it still inflicts significant harm upon both the smoker and those in his or her vicinity, the victims of so-called second-hand smoke.

¶ … bioethical concerns regarding the use of human stem cells involve their source and their research implications. Ethical issues surrounding the source of human embryonic stem cells used in research has historically…

There are times in life when one realizes that things can change very quickly, and not always for the better. I have learned this lesson well while growing up because I faced many challenges, both physically,…

The theme of the insubstantial nature of identity in Pablo Neruda's poem "Too many names" calls to mind a popular song that is still listened to even by many members of my generation, that of "Imagine," by John Lennon.