A new tax blog from the Wall Street Journal

Normally you have to pay to read Tom Herman's tax column online at the Wall Street Journal Online. However, his new Tax Blog, which will be running through April 17 and is written with other Journal staffers, is open to the public. Actually, the blog isn't brand new, I only just found out about it through an e-mail from the Journal.

Today's posts are about the IRS' "dirty dozen" list of the worst tax scams. New for this year, excess claims for the telephone tax refund. Some taxpayers are apparently claiming a credit for the entire amount of their long distance bills, not just the improperly assessed 3% tax. The problem may be systematic; the Service has reportedly conducted raids on tax return preparers in seven cities.