California tax collectors also interested in Al Franken

April 27, 2008

Golden State tax officials are on a roll this week when it comes to unpaid back taxes by celebrities.

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Comedian-turned-politician Al Franken has been making a serious run at the U.S. Senate. He’s just about to get the endorsement of the DFL, Minnesota’s Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, to challenge Republican Sen. Norm Coleman.

Now, however, Franken’s road to Washington could contain a major political pothole. On Friday, Republicans said they have discovered a possible irregularity from Franken’s entertainment days, specifically some unpaid California taxes.

According to the Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune, Franken’s campaign manager Andy Barr declined to say whether Franken had paid taxes on earnings in California between 2003 and 2007.

Barr did tell the paper, though, that Franken’s accountant is working with California officials to sort things out.

This latest tax incident follows earlier disclosures that Franken, who also was one of Air America radio’s stars, failed to pay worker’s compensation and disability premiums in New York and botched the dissolution of his California corporation.

Franken has since paid more than $25,000 in fines to New York, but still owes more than $4,700 in corporate taxes and fines to California.

We’ll have to wait until November to see if the tax missteps have any effect on Minnesota voters.

Photo courtesy of AlFranken.com.

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Tax Season 2026 Continues!

We made it. Tax Day 2025 is finally over. For most of us. When the filing season started on Jan. 26, millions who were expecting refunds filed immediately. Most of us got our returns to the Internal Revenue Service by April 15. But plenty of taxpayers also got extensions. They are looking at an Oct. 15 filing deadline.

Those procrastinating filers aren’t a problem. In fact, the IRS appreciates taxpayers who take time to fill out their 1040 forms correctly. It also is grateful that tax submissions are spread out a bit, especially now that the IRS is a leaner agency. Processing returns is easier when they arrive throughout the year instead of in massive bunches.

But enough about Uncle Sam’s tax collection issues. The focus now is on all y’all who filed for extensions, giving you another six months to complete your return. Since your new mid-October due date will be here before you know it, let’s get started now on meeting it.

The ol’ blog is here to help you finish up your extended Form 1040. You can start with January’s tax tips page, which has links to the rest of the year’s tips by-month collections. You also can peruse various tax categories for more tailored advice by clicking on the More Tax Posts drop-down menu at the top of this (and every) page.

And to make sure you don’t miss your new filing deadline, the count-down clock below will let you know just how much time you to file by Oct. 15. At the latest.e. (Note: I’m in the Central Time Zone, so adjust accordingly for where you live.)

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Comments

Lydia Olchoff

18 years ago

I live in Minneapolis and have seen Al Franken speak numerous times. I’ve shook his hand (he LOVES to shake hands!) and I’ve dived into the Ladies’ Room to avoid shaking his hand.
Why? He’s just not a “nice man”… He’s sarcastic, and caustic, and well, if you’re not from Minnesota you might not get this. But, we pride ourselves on being “nice” here. We don’t call people “lying liars” or “big fat liars”. We’d be more inclined to say that perhaps someone was “mistaken”.
More importantly, we here in Minnesota have a FAR BETTER candidate opposing Al. Sure, he’s not rich or famous like Al. But, hey, he pays his taxes… Check him out… His name is Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer. He’s a university professor, and he’s all about saving the planet… Here’s the website….
http://www.JackForSenate.org
And, while you are there, PLEASE donate some money!! We need your help!!

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California tax collectors also interested in Al Franken

Lydia Olchoff