* I somehow missed this one earlier in the week…
GOP state Sen. Jim Oberweis told me Tuesday he is definitely making a U.S. Senate bid and, in an unusual twist, confirmed his wife, Julie, became a Florida resident because of the “tax advantages” of the Sunshine State.
Julie Oberweis voted in 2012 from Florida and ironically will not be able to cast a ballot for her husband next year. […]
His wife, however, Oberweis confirmed, spends winters at their condo in Bonita Springs, Fla., which they bought in 2010 for $1.3 million.
She became a Florida resident three years ago. “Obviously, there are tax advantages to being a Florida resident,” Oberweis told me. Oberweis, an anti-tax hawk, ticked off the Florida tax benefits: no state income tax and lower estate and property taxes.
He told me he and his wife file separate state income tax returns and joint federal income tax returns. […]
I told Oberweis it seemed to me the unusual situation regarding his wife’s Florida residency could impact his Illinois Senate run. Voters may not appreciate the Oberweis tax-avoidance strategy.
Oberweis mentioned that Durbin’s wife, Loretta, is a Springfield lobbyist.
I don’t know how “spending winters in Florida” can qualify as an out of state residence, but maybe the Department of Revenue can clear this one up.
- 47th Ward - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:33 am:
His wife won’t be the only one not voting for him.
- dave - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:33 am:
**Oberweis mentioned that Durbin’s wife, Loretta, is a Springfield lobbyist.**
So his pushback to the claim that his wife claims residency in FL to save a bunch of tax dollars is that Dick Durbin’s wife is a lobbyist for a bunch of dogooder organizations?
Nice try at spin… but… odd.
For the most part, I think that family should be off limits. The Loretta Durbin attack is an example of what should be off limits. But Oberweis’ spouse situation is different, as it is a blatant attempt for the two of them to benefit from the tax benefits of having some of their income not taxed in IL.
- wordslinger - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:33 am:
I’m sure Oberweis has plenty of razzle-dazzle tax accountants.
I didn’t know you could file jointly for federal and separately for state. It seemx to me a lot of the state returns are drawn from federal returns.
- Nonplussed - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:33 am:
So now I’ll be able to get an Oberweis sundae with my Jimmy John’s sandwich?
- Been There - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:36 am:
The bar association has a pretty good explanation of Illinois residency law.
http://www.isba.org/sections/statelocaltax/newsletter/2010/06/imanonresidentofillinoismaybe
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:38 am:
===- 47th Ward - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:33 am:
His wife won’t be the only one not voting for him.===
You owe me a new Golf shirt!
To the Post,
Hmmm.
Living out of Illinois? “Vacationing” in Florida?
Ridde me this “Political Director”, when residency is in another state, and you “vacation” in the state you are … “vacationing” in… how do you explain away the appearance of the utter TAX DODGE … and further, Oberweis touted, at least last I looked, that his wife worked at the Dairy …
Is there a Dairy in her resident state of Florida???
How pathetic.
- Chi - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:39 am:
It’s ironic how many well-to-do folks spend “6 months and a day” in Florida specifically for the income tax break. I thought one of the reasons people try to make a lot of money is so they can live where they want.
- formerpolitico - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:39 am:
DOR won’t like this at all! But that’s the same DOR which for years had an invalid regulation on its books which permitted companies to screw local taxpayers with sham offices - see Supreme Court’s Hartney Fuel case, decided yesterday. This has huge tax and business impacts - it’s worthy of a separate blog post.
- CircularFiringSquad - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:40 am:
Let’s leave the Loretta Durbin attacks in bounds…ChopperJim will slop that up and sink himself before you can say “extra cream on that malt.”
- I'm Strapped - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:41 am:
For tax purposes, I have heard residing in FLA 6+ months while claiming residency/ homestead status in FLA(qualifies you for lower property taxes, than a snowbird owning the same property) makes you legally a FLA resident. Includes surrendering Ill DL, getting FLA DL.
Politically, looks pretty shabby to most Illinoisans, I would think? Don’t think it’s uncommon in FLA!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:42 am:
===it’s worthy of a separate blog post. ===
If you’d been here yesterday, you would’ve seen it: https://capitolfax.com/2013/11/21/sales-tax-avoiding-companies-dealt-huge-loss-by-il-supreme-court/
- A. Nonymous - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:48 am:
“Oberweis mentioned that Durbin’s wife, Loretta, is a Springfield lobbyist.”
And here I thought Springfield was in Illinois, not Florida.
- David Ormsby - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:49 am:
Nothing defines wealth as much as using “winter” as a verb.
- I'm Strapped - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 10:57 am:
If she’s wintering in Bonita Springs in a $1.3 Mil pad and driving a Benz with Ill plates, now that is tacky yet refined. (FLA has property tax reg fees as opposed to flat $101.00 for Illinois)What’s the sticker on a new Benz run these days anyway? LOL
- Southwest Cook - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:02 am:
This is the least of his problems.
- Fed up - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:03 am:
As a flow up to previous post about mandatory minimum sentences and why they might be a good idea. Cook co judges refuse to follow the law and sentance violent felons to boot camp instead of prison. Judge Cannon when asked about states she doesn’t follow the law. What a joke. Everyone likes to complain are jail are full of non violent drug offenders when it’s just not so. (Unless you are selling or multiple time offender. ) in cook co you can rob and pistol whip someone get convicted of class x felony and get boot camp. Then murder someone when you get out of boot camp. No wonder France issues travel warnings about Chicago.
- Ghost - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:04 am:
um Illinois has not state income tax on retirement income.
So no actuall gain there.
But I am sure oberwiess wife does not seek to use our fire or police protection, drive our roads or benefit from the things the State provides….
basically oberweiss’s wife gets handouts from the State because she does not support any of the services it provides… I thought oberweiss was opposed to handouts….
Also I guess this is his way of defending marriage… his wife lives apart from him with her own income in another State….other then they have a man and a women doesnt seem like much of a marriage…..
- A guy... - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:10 am:
Can’t stand Oberweis, but this is dumb. Can’t blame her for wanting to be away, can you? I’ve known a lot of people who’ve done this in a number of other states mostly to take advantage of a lower property tax at the other home. I’d leave her out of it, just as I’d leave Durbin’s wife out of it. Don’t even leave open any chance of it boomeranging because attacking family is taboo. There’s plenty more to go after.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:14 am:
FWIW, the Kane County Clerk’s website still shows Julie Oberweis on the rolls and her voter status in Illinois as ACTIVE.
- DuPage - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:16 am:
It works both ways. I’ve known retired police officers buy property and move to a state that would tax their pension. They make sure their legal tax residency is still in Illinois. They rent an old farmhouse, or rent a room somewhere, whatever. They make sure they meet the letter of the law.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:17 am:
This is as deleicious as “Political Ice Cream” being serverd to those with Pitchforks and Torches ….
From…
http://www.jimoberweis.com/about
Quote!
“Jim is married, and his wife Julie works with him at Oberweis Dairy. He has five adult children, two stepchildren, and seventeen grandchildren, most of whom call Illinois home.”
1) so Julie works at the Dairy, and Illiois is ok to work in, but to live in, as a State Senator’s wife no less…to live in Illiois … ya can’t?
lol
and…
2) I would have guessed….child .. grandchild … one of them were not Illinois residents …
But Jim Oberweis’ WIFE … is the one who … let me make sure I got this right …
“…most of whom call Illinois home.”
Is in actuality, talking about JULIE Oberweis?
lol
A Buffoon of the highest order … Slytherin Jim Obertweis.
When living in Illinois, is not an option for a Wife.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:22 am:
@AGuy - Yes I can blame her for wanting to leave Illinois and being so selfish in her retirement years to engage in schemes like this to avoid paying taxes in the state that made her rich enough to be able to buy a second home in Florida. You are out of touch beyond belief if you think most voters feel otherwise about this. Congrats on running in a social circle where having out of state second properties is the norm. Just recognize most voters don’t.
- LincolnLounger - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:25 am:
Imagine her relief to go to the polls and not have to cast another vote for her husband’s losing candidacy.
- dupage dan - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:26 am:
Virtual scooping via Skype, huh?
- Whatever - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:28 am:
47th Ward said it all…
- OneMan - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:31 am:
Wow, don’t know where to start with that.. So if I drive in Iowa am I a freeloader? My folks live out of state but spend a chunk of the summer here in a trailer, they don’t have to pay property taxes on the site they own (it’s a deal the developer cut years ago) so are my parents freeloaders? It isn’t like they spend money on gas and groceries and stuff at Walmart and going out to eat and stuff… Oh wait, they do and they pay sales taxes on that.
Using that same logic, someone who just has non-taxable retirement income is also a freeloader…
I am with you on the WTF of all of this, but the feeloader argument strikes me as a bit flat.
- PoolGuy - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:33 am:
wow I wish i could brag about being able to own a second multi-million dollar home in another state and be able to brag about the tax breaks I bet. no “out of touch” rich people problems there…
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:38 am:
Half the retires I know with homes in Florida do this for exactly the same reasons. Spend 6 months and a day in Florida and it becomes your primary residence. Less taxes. Your home may sink but if the law works for you, take advantage of it. If the General Assembly screws with the pensions, I’m sure more retirees may move to Florida and other states with lower taxes or no state income tax!! I’m one of them.
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:41 am:
Maybe she wouldn’t vote for Jimmy if she actually lived here! This way there is peace in the family!!
- Rich Miller - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:44 am:
=== or no state income tax!! I’m one of them.===
Dude, you already pay no income taxes on your pension in Illinois. You want to move for a lower tax rate than zero? Have at it.
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:47 am:
Oh, whoopy I saved less the $350 on my state income tax last year. Illinois property taxes, gas tax and sales taxes are terrible for the services get.
- Ghost - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:49 am:
One man if you are unable to process the difference between driving through a State for 2 hours, and living in a state I can not help you.
But I bet your not relying on the iow police to patrol your neighborhood and the iowa fire stations to come to your house or your neghborhood to put out a fire.
Conversly if the police and fire protection services for her Illinnois property refused to provide protection I bet she would complain that she has a right to those services.
- OneMan - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:57 am:
Ghost…
I can’t help you, if you fail to realize that at least out here we pay for those things to a large extent with PROPERTY TAXES and SALES TAX not state income taxes.
I don’t know where you live but my local fire service and police services are not covered under my state income taxes? Are yours, if so you are getting a hell of a deal because I pay my local municipality a decent chunk of change every year in my property taxes for those services.
Also using your logic am I freeloader in Aurora since to be blunt, I don’t buy much besides Gas in Aurora since the stores that are closer to me are in Oswego so I end up helping Willy’s town instead of my own.
Do you really want to use the ‘freeloading’ argument on local unit of government services because of someone not paying state income tax?
Really?
- thechampaignlife - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:16 pm:
In addition to the retirement income mentioned above, how is it saving them on property taxes if they now have 2 residences? I don’t think taxes are really playing that much of a role here. More like the sunny, warm weather.
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:24 pm:
You know if Jimmy O were to win the U.S. Senate seat, he may to have to buy a third house in Washington D.C.!!! Can he afford it?? No to worry!! I mean about the win..
- OneMan - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:26 pm:
well, there is an assumption that her income is retirement income, it may not be…
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:28 pm:
I wonder if Jimmy O has any off shore accounts. You know, it’s all about saving money!!
- Precinct Captain - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:28 pm:
==Dude, you already pay no income taxes on your pension in Illinois. You want to move for a lower tax rate than zero? Have at it.==
The negative income tax was a foundation of Milton Friedman’s economic thinking on social welfare programs.
- Pat - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:32 pm:
So, when we reap the fruits of how residency has been defined down we fuss?
But we don’t fuss when courts make up laws about those things. Seems a bit odd.
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:32 pm:
Quote!
“Jim is married, and his wife Julie works with him at Oberweis Dairy.
So it’s not retirement income.
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:37 pm:
Now I get it…. Jim wanted the speed limit raised to 70 so his wife can get home faster so she dosen’t miss a days work at the dairy. And if her car breaks down on a Sunday she’ll be able to buy a new Mercedes!! It’s all coming into focus now!!
- enoughalready - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:40 pm:
He is truly legend…wait for it…dairy.
- Union Man - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:42 pm:
I wonder what she does at the dairy?
- Sir Reel - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 12:57 pm:
Tone deaf. Sorta like Romney explaining parking his money offshore and wondering why everyone didn’t do it.
- A guy... - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:00 pm:
==== hisgirlfriday - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 11:22 am:
@AGuy - Yes I can blame her for wanting to leave Illinois and being so selfish in her retirement years to engage in schemes like this to avoid paying taxes in the state that made her rich enough to be able to buy a second home in Florida. You are out of touch beyond belief if you think most voters feel otherwise about this. Congrats on running in a social circle where having out of state second properties is the norm. Just recognize most voters don’t.====
Girl Friday- I believe I made it clear that the people I’m referring to are taking advantage of a lowered property tax for being a resident. Especially on a property with values above $1M. I do have a second home…uh, in Illinois, just like my first home. You don’t have to run in too special a circle for that. I believe our CF moderator is even in my circumstance of two residences instate. It’s not so bad running in his circle (though we don’t). His interns are bigger dogs than me. lol. Try the decaf ma’am.
- Big Muddy - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:00 pm:
Thought it was just me but apparently even his own wife can’t stand to be around the guy. His ego gives him all the company he ever needs.
- Demoralized - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:09 pm:
@A guy:
I would tend to agree with you about leaving family out of it, except in this case. It’s pretty bad when the spouse of a gubernatorial candidate claims an out-of-state residence for tax purposes. I understand the tax issue. But there are different rules once your husband is running for governor. I find it a bit offensive.
- A guy... - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:48 pm:
Demoralized, I know you mean Senator (not Governor). Regardless, I’d leave spouses out of it. There’s so much more to whack this guy with.
- Demoralized - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 1:51 pm:
Oops. Apologies. Time to go home.
- Cornwall - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 2:02 pm:
His wife is not a resident of Illinois.
His family, therefore, gains a financial benefit.
Democrats are going to have a field day if this goof gets nominated.
- pingu - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 2:11 pm:
Good luck explaining the second vote he gets to his wife.
- Bourbonrich - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 2:38 pm:
I believe she will pay Illinois taxes on money earned in Illinois if any, but they will be able to get reduced real estate taxes in both states since she is a Florida resident. It’s not the States they are reducing their tax load but the local units of government. Real estate taxes in Florida are much less for residents than on second houses or rental property.
- hisgirlfriday - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 2:56 pm:
@A guy - Not sure what you or Rich having two homes in Illinois has to do with anything, unless either one of you is running for Senate.
Jim Oberweis is running for Senate to represent Illinois and so this revelation about Jim’s wife raises valid questions about the finances of the Oberweis family and Jim’s dedication to Illinois. If he wants to dodge questions about that to criticize Loretta for being a lobbyist, I honestly don’t mind because voters should also know what entities are paying money into the Durbin family income, even if I suspect Lorettas clients are not any groups I would have a problem with.
Most of all though, I still would like to know why Mrs. Oberweis is still on the Kane County voter rolls as ACTIVE if she is apparently voting in Florida and using Florida votes to claim Florida residency to get out of Illinois taxes.
- Anon. - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 3:48 pm:
==Jim Oberweis is running for Senate to represent Illinois and so this revelation about Jim’s wife raises valid questions about the finances of the Oberweis family and Jim’s dedication to Illinois.==
After Hillary got elected from New York, Keyes actually got on the Illinois ballot, Rahm got elected mayor, and Vallas becomes a candiate for LG, I would expect people to be less than surprised by anything to do with residency.
- Formerly Known As... - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 3:59 pm:
The fact that Durbin’s wife works as a Springfield lobbyist 365 days a year is far more disturbing than Oberweis’ wife spending 182 days a year in Ilinois.
- Hans Sanity - Friday, Nov 22, 13 @ 5:44 pm:
I like ice cream.
I’d like it more if recreational cannabis was legal — no limits on quantities bought, sold, grown, possessed, or given away — in Illinois.
- watchdog - Thursday, Dec 12, 13 @ 10:32 am:
How about his dairy business contributing millions to his senate campaign. Think of all the legislation that can benefit him and continue to pollute air and water at the same time.
- watchdog - Thursday, Dec 12, 13 @ 10:36 am:
How does a guy that owns a huge investment firm become an arbitrator for “FINRA” ? Oberweis is. His investment firm also contributed hundreds of thousands to his Senate campaign Hmmmm….