Well, now I'm kinda scared

by Ugh

Hi All - 

Ugh here (just in case you missed the byline), as LJ notes below, he and the other ObWi bloggerati invited me to post here and I accepted (thanks all!).  Although, now I'm having the same kind of nervousness I get when I do public speaking.  Strange.  

Anyway, simple introduction:  I'm a tax lawyer in Washington DC (to which you might say, in your best Jack Nicholson A Few Good Men impersonation, "Is there any other kind?"), so expect relatively informed posts on that subject and totally uninformed posts on others.  Otherwise, I've been commenting here since at least before the 2004 Presidential election.

I'll try to manage to post something more substantive soon and will try to keep my more snarky stuff over at TiO (unless it's this awesome).  

Finally, apologies in advance for effing things up as I learn about the Wonderful World of Typepad.  

Comments

[wj]

So give us an expert opinion. What are the chances of any kind of meaningful simplification (never mind reform) of the tax code any time soon? For that matter, The Economist had a lovely post recently about how much easier it is to file taxes elsewhere. Do you see any chance of that?

[Laura Koerbeer]

Welcome!

[ral]

Welcome Ugh, and as I'm sure you know, the butterflies will pass once you're under way.

[Slartibartfast]

A sincere welcome, Ugh. If you don't yet have full access, I don't see a problem with getting you that. And if you have questions, feel free to ask me via email.

At some point the Collective might note a passing of the reins and burden of blog maintenance, but that point might not yet be here. But it should be acknowledged, as should the fact that hilzoy had been keeping the blog afloat financially since...well, I think since Moe stopped doing so.

We owe her our thanks. I've already expressed that to her, but I think everyone should be aware.

[hairshirthedonist]

I remember being nervous the first time I commented on a blog. I was typing things other people were going to see *ON THE INTERNET* (and they could subsequently write stuff back detailing how stupid I was *ON THE INTERNET*).

Be brave.

[Slartibartfast]

The Internet is the new Permanent Record.

[cleek]

thankfully, Usenet archives are spotty.

nobody needs to know what 17-year old me was on about.

[cleek]

but apparently Angelfire is well-archived.

[byomtov]

Welcome, ugh.

[CJColucci]

Welcome. Maybe you can explain why carried interest is treated differently from a percentage commission on the sale of someone else's appreciated house. I get treating the return on your own invested capital (or your share of a partnership's invested capital) should be treated as a capital gain -- assuming, for now, that different rates for capital gains make sense -- but why should your compensation for running a fund be taxed as a capital gain simply because you're getting paid a percentage of the appreciation of someone else's capital? Am I missing something?

[russell]

ugh, go for it. you're gonna rock the house.

welcome aboard.

[Count Me - In]

Welcome ugh, which sounds like a contradiction in terms, or an American Indian greeting from a 1950s B western starring Rory Calhoun, Katy Jurado, and Chill Wills.

Are you the same ugh who holds down the fort at Taking It Outside? Do you have a brother named ouch?

If so, ;) then what does it say that everyone who stormed Outside to settle scores ginned up Inside here at the mother ship now feature as the main civilizers at OBWI?

Outside is now inside and vice versa.

Next thing you know, DaveC will be headlining here and telling everyone to pipe down.

At which point, we'll require a third blog to handle the overspill into the street.

We'll call it "Beside Ourselves". Or maybe "No Upside".

Thank you, Hilzoy, for underwriting OBWI.

That makes her the 47 percent and the rest of yous the you know whats, but who's counting.

[bobbyp]

.....as should the fact that hilzoy had been keeping the blog afloat financially since...

Shouldn't that be deductible as a charitable contribution or at the very least a tax loss carry forward for an unrealized basis distribution?

Welcome, ugh.