House slashes IRS Budget

[Lee B]

The beat of a different drummer continues:

 

House GOP slashes IRS tax enforcement budget

 

Jul 15, 12:25 PM (ET)

By ANDREW TAYLOR

 

 

WASHINGTON (AP) — The GOP-controlled House has slashed the budget for the Internal Revenue Service's tax enforcement division by $1.2 billion, a 25 percent cut that would mean fewer audits of taxpayers and make it more likely that people who cheat on their taxes will get away with it.

The House approved the cuts by voice vote after little debate Monday night as it took up a $21 billion spending bill that sets the IRS budget.

 

The cuts reflect GOP outrage over the agency's scrutiny of tea party groups seeking tax-exempt status and frustration over the agency's failure to produce thousands of emails by Lois Lerner, the official formerly in charge of the IRS division that processes applications for tax-exempt status.

 

"The use of a government agency to harass, target, intimidate and threaten lawful, honest citizens was the worst form of authoritarianism," said Rep. Paul Gosar, R-Ariz., author of an amendment to cut the IRS tax enforcement budget by $353 million. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Mich., followed up with an amendment to cut $788 million more.

 

The Democratic floor leader on the funding bill, Rep. Jose Serrano of New York, opposed the amendments but opted against demanding a roll call vote.

 

"The answer is not to cut the IRS to bare bones, because our next problem is that the deficit will continue to grow because we won't be able to do the proper collecting of tax dollars in this country," Serrano said.

 

The White House had already issued a veto threat on the legislation, saying it shortchanges the IRS, impedes implementation of the new health care law and undercuts the new regulations on Wall St. that passed in 2010.

 

Edited July 15, 2014 by kcjenkins
to remove the ads

[Richcpaman]

Stupid.

 

Really, Really Stupid.

 

Rich

[Jack from Ohio]

The IRS has cut its own throat by pursuing corrupt and illegal practices and then trying the childish method of hiding.

The IRS has been "soaking" the taxpayers of this country for years. Inefficiencies, wasteful spending, stupid and arcane process for choosing audits, etc..

The only thing that officials in a government agency pay attention to is cuts in the budget that reduces the amount of money they can waste.

I agree that it makes the job of the IRS more difficult, but if the IRS had been doing an adequate and ethical job, this would not be happening.

Bottom line, all of us suffer for the poor way the IRS has been directed and worked for decades that have brought around these cuts. The frauds and tax cheats get away and the rest of us have to pay.

FIRE KAREN HAWKINS!!

Edited July 17, 2014 by kcjenkins
To correct spelling of her name

[kcjenkins]

The IRS has cut its own throat by pursuing corrupt and illegal practices and then trying the childish method of hiding.

The only thing that officials in a government agency pay attention to is cuts in the budget that reduces the amount of money they can waste.

I agree that it makes the job of the IRS more difficult, but if the IRS had been doing an adequate and ethical job, this would not be happening.

I agree, the budget is really the only tool that Congress has to control them.  Only a short-term option, but when the leadership has gotten this corrupt, desperate measures are called for.  Stop protecting the law-breakers, cooperate with Congressional Oversight committees, and then as soon as the rot is cleared out and the sunshine is allowed in, they will get their budget restored.  

 

 

PS  I apologize if this seems political, but this is not really about politics, it's about being able to trust the government agency that has been given the most rights to intrude into the privacy of every American of our entire government.  The only part of government where you are 'guilty until you prove your innocence'  if they say you are, with the power to go into your bank records without getting a court order first, etc.  

[Richcpaman]

KC and Jack.

 

Yes, it does all that.

 

And it does that because CONGRESS Set it up that way. 

 

Tasked it with running the largest social welfare program in the country.

Tasked it with monitoring the next worst system going forward.

 

And then says it can't have any money...

 

When the IRS budget is cut, it doesn't effect things except those that effect the job I am trying to do on behalf of MY clients.

 

 

I can't get anyone to read a letter detailing the IRS mistake, but my client still keeps getting the automated notices....

 

Is the Agency perfect?  No.  And there are some bad apples. 

 

But on a day to day basis, they have a pretty daunting task to perform, and in many respects, they do a pretty good job.  When it gets out of alignment, which we as preparers, we get to see a lot of, we CAN'T get the problem fixed in a reasonable amount of time anymore....

 

And that is because when they suck the money out of the budget, what is left is spent on the priorities set by Congress, and one of those that is NOT a priority is customer service.

 

And that makes me angry.

 

Rich

[Jack from Ohio]

KC and Jack.

 

Yes, it does all that.

 

And it does that because CONGRESS Set it up that way. 

 

Tasked it with running the largest social welfare program in the country.

Tasked it with monitoring the next worst system going forward.

 

And then says it can't have any money...

 

When the IRS budget is cut, it doesn't effect things except those that effect the job I am trying to do on behalf of MY clients.

 

 

I can't get anyone to read a letter detailing the IRS mistake, but my client still keeps getting the automated notices....

 

Is the Agency perfect?  No.  And there are some bad apples. 

 

But on a day to day basis, they have a pretty daunting task to perform, and in many respects, they do a pretty good job.  When it gets out of alignment, which we as preparers, we get to see a lot of, we CAN'T get the problem fixed in a reasonable amount of time anymore....

 

And that is because when they suck the money out of the budget, what is left is spent on the priorities set by Congress, and one of those that is NOT a priority is customer service.

 

And that makes me angry.

 

Rich

Do you have a suggestion of a better way to curb the corruption which starts at the top of the agency?

[Gail in Virginia]

I would love to see people held personally accountable, fired if needed, and pension revoked if warranted (or at least reduced to a return of what they have put in plus interest).  Not the people who are just trying to do their job get punished by having to do twice as much work in the same amount of time for the same pay.

[OldJack]

Like a bad apple, the IRS is rotten at the core and should be thrown away!

[Lee B]

Actually the IRS is a reflection of our current culture and dysfunctional political system.

 

Observing what is going on in the USA recently is like watching the "Fall" part

 

of the "Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire"

[kcjenkins]

I would love to see people held personally accountable, fired if needed, and pension revoked if warranted (or at least reduced to a return of what they have put in plus interest).  Not the people who are just trying to do their job get punished by having to do twice as much work in the same amount of time for the same pay.

I don't disagree with you on this, it's just that when corruption is so wide-spread, the ONLY weapon Congress has left is the checkbook.  And if used, it generally does not take long for changes to occur.  It's not like it can't be restored if they clean up their act, stop lying and covering up for the crooks, and refusing to turn over documents, etc, and they will then get their budget restored.  Like 'grounding' your teenager, it's not for life, just till they start following the rules.

[Lee B]

First let's start with all of our members of Congress.

 

"OFF WITH THEIR HEADS !"

[Richcpaman]

The corruption is by design.

 

Someone has to do the job of collecting revenue for the government.  Right now, this is the IRS's primary job.  Lots of other agencies in the US government collect fines, service fees and other revenue, but its a real small part compared to what the IRS collects.

 

Corruption?  If you really believe that the agency is that corrupt and rife with it, then its time to look for a new job, because, by extension, you are supporting it.  Because of your efforts to file tax returns on behalf of citizens, you are feeding the beast.

 

But not really, because you would not be doing it if it was that bad. 

 

So we separate the evil from the necessary here.  And this isn't about the "Living in evil, but the buses run on time..."  type of acceptance. 

 

Their job is collect the revenues that Congress has directed them to collect.  Much of that is routine and rolls in.. (941's and Fed W/H) Its in the administration of the rest of it that we get to see the real problems. 

 

Rich