About the tax returns dispute
I want to bring the tax returns dispute and debate into its own thread.
The first time this came up was perhaps two years ago. To be honest, I tried to search for the original discussion but I couldn't find it. I know it's here on the forum site, but our "search" feature can't seem to isolate it. If someone can find it and either copy and paste the key posts here, or provide a link, that would be great.
My feeling about the tax returns are simply these:
I don't think anyone has anything to prove by providing tax returns except for Rob because he has made several big claims:
1. That he averaged profits of $100,000 per year for ten years.
2. That his returns passed muster with the IRS even though he made deductions that some of us have questioned as legitimate.
I don't think Arc or anyone else has to provide their tax returns as a condition for Rob to present his.
But with that said, Rob doesn't have to provide his tax returns either. He is under no obligation to just as no other poster is required to.
That Rob doesn't provide his tax returns should not be viewed that his statements were not true.
Frankly, (and I've always said this), I don't doubt that he had profits of $100,000 a year. Someone who plays $10 and $25 video poker can easily have profits of $100,000 with a little luck.
I also don't doubt that Rob claimed big deductions for various "expenses" that some of us questioned. Yeah, it's possible he got away with it.
With that said I would really like to see his tax returns -- not for the profits -- but for the deductions. Getting away with those deductions is the real accomplishment.
I am also going to say this: on a website forum folks tend to round-up numbers, embellish stories, and bend the truth. That's reality. I would caution everybody reading this forum to take all claims with a grain -- or a boulder -- of salt.
This is a website forum. No one is giving testimony here after being sworn in a court of law or after being sworn before a congressional committee. No one here is even being questioned by the police or the FBI. This is a website forum. People will say things they don't mean and people will make claims they can't back up.
In Rob's case, he has a history of big wins that were documented. That doesn't mean we got the whole story. But it also means we can't discount everything he said.
If Rob wants to provide his personal tax returns it's up to him. I don't think anyone has ever asked Jean Scott, or Bob Dancer or Michael Shackleford to present their tax returns. Why is Rob being held to a different standard?
If anyone else wants to provide their tax returns to me, I promise I will release only the sections that person wants released -- for whatever purpose they have in mind.
Frankly, I don't want to see anyone's tax return. If Rob won money then good for him. If Arc won money good for him.
I've played in casinos long enough and I've been around long enough to know that two people following the same advice and strategy will not necessarily have the same results unless they are playing together on the same machine or playing the same hands.
I think this whole thing has been blown out of proportion and is really a meaningless discussion.
No one has to prove anything in terms of taxes to share strategy, theory or ideas.
Frankly, I don't doubt Arc has won when he said he won. I don't doubt anyone else.
I am more concerned with information that will help me win, than whether or not anyone else won money.
If Arc had promised me a share of his winnings, then I'd want to see his tax returns to be sure I was getting my proper share. But since Arc made no such deal with me, I have no reason to see his returns. The same goes with Rob.
