I'll Get Around to It Later

... really I will...

From USA Today:

Doctors, lawyers, dentists and chiropractors account for a big share of tax delinquents — 10% of California's list, for example. Sometimes, tax trouble isn't the only problem delinquents face.

Neurosurgeon Lorne Houten of Woodland Hills, Calif., owes $440,000 in state income tax and $472,406 in federal taxes, public records show. In 2002, the Medical Board of California accused him of a series of medical errors. A disciplinary hearing is set for September. Houten has not responded publicly to the board.

For most, tax troubles don't signal professional problems.

Madison Richardson, a prominent head and neck specialist in Beverly Hills, owes $1.6 million in state income taxes and $2.1 million in federal income taxes, public records show. He maintains a large practice with two offices.

Neither physician could be reached for comment.

"You'd be surprised how many doctors don't file income tax returns," says David MacKusick, an Atlanta tax lawyer. "They're busy, self-employed and figure they'll get around to it later."

Amazing how doctors from Beverly Hills and Malibu are singled out in this piece by the press. Worse, a tax lawyer gets to slam doctors' fiscal responsibilities but is unable to acknowledge the juicy details of lawyers' taxation delinquencies.

No wonder doctors' salaries are always perceived by the media as excessive.

-Wes