Yes, Your Honoraria: Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk Has a Small Tax Matter to Tend To

A Friend of Unfair Park sends along this just-posted piece from Politico detailing Ron Kirk's taxing issue before the Senate Finance Committee, which just today announced it was pushing back his confirmation hearing as U.S. trade ambassador till next Monday. According to a missive sent to journalists by Finance Chairman...

By Robert Wilonsky

March 2, 2009

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A Friend of Unfair Park sends along this just-posted piece from Politico detailing Ron Kirk's taxing issue before the Senate Finance Committee, which just today announced it was pushing back his confirmation hearing as U.S. trade ambassador till next Monday. According to a missive sent to journalists by Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) and Finance Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the former Dallas mayor owes $9,975 because of "honoraria that he did not collect -- they were recorded as a donation to his school -- but, in some cases, did deduct," as Ben Smith puts it for those not interested in reading the entire report, which is part of Kirk's vetting process.

The tax returns in question are for 2005-'07, and at issue are his speaking honoraria, which Kirk has sent to his alma mater, Austin College. Says the senators' letter, Kirk's payment to the school "help[s] fulfill a pledge he had made to the college for a scholarship fund. Since he asked for the honoraria to be assigned to Austin College, he did not think the honoraria were taxable income to him. His paid preparer also thought this was proper." But, notes the memo, "Mayor Kirk has agreed to promptly file amended returns reflecting the adjustments discussed in this memo."

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