As a newly minted CPA, you obtain your first significantposition as a tax professional: senior tax accountant for one ofthe offices of a regional accounting firm. Of course, the firm runsa notice of your hiring in the local newspaper. A few days later,the editor of the newspaper calls you and asks if you might beinterested in writing a monthly column for the newspaper on taxissues. Figuring that it would be a good way to get your name outin the community as an expert in the field (and a little freeadvertising to boot!), you tell him that you would be more thanhappy to do so. "Great! " he says. "By the way, I have alreadyblocked out space for this column in the next edition of the paper.Is there any way that you can get me your article by the end of theday today?" After you commit to doing so, he also proceeds to tellyou that you will not be paid for these articles. "I figure that itis just a sort of public service that you could offer to thecommunity. I am sure you understand." (And so it begins.... Getused to a lot of this.) You spend the next 10 minutes thinkingabout what you could discuss in your first article. You would liketo shake people up a little bit, and perhaps challenge theiropinions about some issues of tax law. That way, you could perhapsbuild up some interest in your column, which, as you know, will bedifficult to achieve under the best of circumstances! (After all,who wants to read newspaper articles about taxes?)
Finally, you decide on a topic: You will argue to the readersthat the federal income tax should be abolished and replaced with anational property tax that is levied on both personal property andreal estate.
Required: Write an article arguing this position. You may or maynot agree with this proposition. However, based on the materialscovered in this course and the discussions that have occurred inthe Discussion areas, you should be able to articulate a cogent,persuasive argument in support of this proposition. In particular,reference theories, concepts, justifications, and anticipatedeconomic, social, and/or other benefits that would result from sucha system. To the extent that you think strong contrary argumentscould be made, consider raising those contrary arguments and thenpersuasively arguing against them. Your answer to this questionwill be evaluated based on the thoroughness, professionalism,substance, and persuasiveness of your argument.
As a newly minted CPA, you obtain your first significantposition as a tax professional: senior tax accountant for one ofthe offices of a regional accounting firm. Of course, the firm runsa notice of your hiring in the local newspaper. A few days later,the editor of the newspaper calls you and asks if you might beinterested in writing a monthly column for the newspaper on taxissues. Figuring that it would be a good way to get your name outin the community as an expert in the field (and a little freeadvertising to boot!), you tell him that you would be more thanhappy to do so. "Great! " he says. "By the way, I have alreadyblocked out space for this column in the next edition of the paper.Is there any way that you can get me your article by the end of theday today?" After you commit to doing so, he also proceeds to tellyou that you will not be paid for these articles. "I figure that itis just a sort of public service that you could offer to thecommunity. I am sure you understand." (And so it begins.... Getused to a lot of this.) You spend the next 10 minutes thinkingabout what you could discuss in your first article. You would liketo shake people up a little bit, and perhaps challenge theiropinions about some issues of tax law. That way, you could perhapsbuild up some interest in your column, which, as you know, will bedifficult to achieve under the best of circumstances! (After all,who wants to read newspaper articles about taxes?)
Finally, you decide on a topic: You will argue to the readersthat the federal income tax should be abolished and replaced with anational property tax that is levied on both personal property andreal estate.
Required: Write an article arguing this position. You may or maynot agree with this proposition. However, based on the materialscovered in this course and the discussions that have occurred inthe Discussion areas, you should be able to articulate a cogent,persuasive argument in support of this proposition. In particular,reference theories, concepts, justifications, and anticipatedeconomic, social, and/or other benefits that would result from sucha system. To the extent that you think strong contrary argumentscould be made, consider raising those contrary arguments and thenpersuasively arguing against them. Your answer to this questionwill be evaluated based on the thoroughness, professionalism,substance, and persuasiveness of your argument.
