The Taxman Guns for Facebook, MySpace Users

By know, most people know not to say anything on social networking sites that could get them in trouble, but who knew the taxman was watching for slip-ups? Apparently, state revenue agents have been nabbing tax evaders by keeping an eye on Facebook and MySpace, catching them as they boast about new jobs. Typically, a tax collector will start by looking at bank, employment and motor vehicle records, but when all other efforts are exhausted, they turn to Google, and then to social networking sites. For instance, when a DJ in Nebraska announced a big public party on his MySpace page, an agent called him out and collected $2,000. The golden social networking rule applies here: If it’s private, the collectors won’t be able to see it, and they’re not allowed to “friend” you under an alias just to see your profile. But hey, you should probably just pay your taxes and avoid this whole mess. [Wall Street Journal via Switched]