AMAC Exclusive
It seems that Democrats and Republicans in Washington have finally found something they can agree on. Sadly, what they’ve agreed on is that the Internal Revenue Service is not intrusive enough in the lives of average Americans.
Last week, the House approved a $713 billion infrastructure plan that Democrats hope will be the first of several additional giant spending bills this year. Days before, the Senate reached a bipartisan deal on their own $1 trillion infrastructure bill. While the bill will focus primarily on funding infrastructure projects across the country, one allocation was a shock to many: Democrats and Republicans agreed to allocate an eye-popping $40 billion to the Internal Revenue Service. Seemingly, they have the explicit intent of turning the agency into even more of a nightmare for hardworking Americans.
A beefed-up IRS has been a key funding priority of the Biden Administration from day one. In theory, the expanded agency will be better equipped and staffed. This will enable it to more effectively collect taxes that, in the past, the agency has lacked the resources to pursue. By simply enforcing
the existing tax code more effectively, legislators hope to raise $100 billion in new tax revenue.
Last Month, Treasury Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Mazur testified before Congress that, in 2019, the federal government collected $580 billion less than what they should have under the current code. This “tax gap,” he predicts, will balloon to over $7 trillion over the next decade. He ascribed this shortfall to the IRS’s limited budget which supposedly inhibits its ability to effectively target Americans. Over the last decade, the IRS budget has decreased by 20%. Whether or not greater government efficiency could make up for the budget shortfall was not discussed by Mazur.
In practice, this means a much more brutal tax season for millions of Americans. For small businesses, high earners, and young entrepreneurs, a standard audit is a scary and expensive proposition. Under the Democrats’ new funding plan (which some Republicans apparently agreed to) audits would rise dramatically, and tax collectors would be emboldened to aggressively target individuals they deem to be “ducking the code.” This could have the undesired effect of forcing high-earners and corporations to relocate overseas. Additionally, a major reason for the decline in IRS funding has to do with the agency’s recent history of whom they targeted for screening.
In 2013, it was revealed that the IRS, under the direction of then-Director of the IRS Exempt Organizations Division Lois Lerner, aggressively targeted and harassed conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. Though some Democrat groups were also scrutinized, they were held to a much lower standard. When called before Congress, Lerner pleaded the Fifth and refused to resign from her position. In 2017, the IRS formally apologized to these conservative organizations and reached a settlement.
More recently, ProPublica, an activist-journalist website was able to secure “a vast trove of Internal Revenue Service data on the tax returns of thousands of the nation’s wealthiest people, covering more than 15 years.” Since then, they have slowly trickled out stories alleging tax fraud on the part of wealthy Americans. Most of these accusations have been questioned, if not outright refuted. The IRS has apparently not made any meaningful progress in identifying how the leak occurred or in prosecuting the leaker.
While it goes without saying that every American should pay what taxes they owe, the prospect of a “beefed-up” IRS has concerned many. The agency’s history of leaking information and political targeting already makes many Americans wary of the motives behind this plus-up. Additionally, the idea of vastly more audits is not one that is bound to be popular. An audit can be a ruinous expense for those who don’t consider themselves “tax wizards” or who lack the money to retain one.
The American people are not a cistern to be pumped by the federal government when it feels like spending more than it has. Nowhere in any of Democrats’ proposals is there a substantive measure to cut waste, fraud, or overspending in government. Without any such assurance that government will act responsibly or effectively in the name of the taxpayer, why should the taxpayer feel inclined to give more of their hard–earned dollars? When it comes to the money Americans earn, the onus is on the federal government to prove why it needs to take, not on the individual to prove why he or she needs to keep. Under this new IRS, that presumption may just be reversed.
If the additional funding means that I will get my 2020 refund a little quicker than the 4+ months that I have already been waiting, then go for it.
The Republicans who agree are RINOs day 1 & dislike this Very Gestapo move
Wasn’t IRS used as a weapon or tool during Obama term to go after certain people or groups?
Let’s hear it for the jackbooted thugs!!!
INSANITY! Why not simplify the tax code to a flat tax, one simple rate for ALL Americans and companies, NO LOOP holes, and SLASH the IRS and the employees by 90%. Think of ALL of the money savings that would NO LONGER be needed……
When are we going to stop calling the Democrats what they no longer are? Let’s call them what they really have become “SOCIALISTS and COMMUNISTS” who are trying to massively take over our government, shred the Constitution and our Bill of Rights, and our beloved Declaration of Independence. They are not for the people, they use the people, and are determined to control us by all means possible. And our educational institutions from K – 12, through our colleges and universities are no longer educating our children and grandchildren. They are INDOCTRINATING them. We must remember that freedom is not bestowed upon us, freedom from such tyranny must be fought for and fought to be maintained. The future of our freedoms are in OUR hands, let us join our hands together to maintain it.
Sure hope they get more computers. Refunds are getting slower and slower each year as they add more and more jobs for IRS computers to do.
Lets be very clear what the purpose of expanding the IRS in this manner is: Socialism is very, very costly to implement. Lots of expensive government programs and so-called freebies that have to be paid for at the same time new, overly aggressive regulations negatively impact our economy by increasing inflation, driving businesses off shore or wiping them out altogether and lowering our overall economic growth rate on a permanent basis. Under the Democrat agenda, the best annual GDP growth rate we will be able to achieve will be like most of Western Europe: Between 0 and 2 percent in a good year.
As such, going after only the top one percent in this country, as the Dems have repeatedly promised, won’t even scratch the surface of the kind of money the Democrats are talking about spending over the next decade in transformational projects and programs. That means these additional IRS resources will be targeting the middle class head on as a means to partially close the revenue gap needed to support the type of permanent social welfare state being proposed.
We certainly cannot borrow more money from foreign investors with our ever-more worthless government bonds, as the Treasury has already hit a ceiling in that aspect. The Federal Reserve has been buying $120 billion a month as it is. So we’re already moving ever-more worthless dollars from the left pocket to the right pocket and hoping we don’t trigger a wave of true hyper inflation.
Tax rates to support the Democrat agenda have to go up across the board. Some of those have already been proposed by legislation already passed in the House and awaiting a vote in the Senate. New taxes have to be imposed on as many things as possible and some of those are already being fashioned in the House under new legislation being cobbled together by the Democrats. Tax deductions have to be reduced or eliminated for the vast majority of the American people, in order for the government to fund the social welfare state they proposing. Which is what Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren and AOC are actively working on. Continual audits and government confiscation by the IRS will be the rule of the day. Yes, socialism is a very, very costly system of governance for any country foolish enough to allow it to be adopted as anyone in Argentine, Venezuela, Zimbabwe and the other socialist Utopias can attest to.
These I.R.S. agents are hiding behind the might of the government. They are regular human beings and should be tried for extortion, and JAILED.
Here’s and idea that will save billions……reduce the IRS intrusion into our lives….and make the whole tax issue simple as pie, a piece of cake, a quick remedy…….just go to a flat tax across the board.
No deductions. No special treatments. No extra paperwork. Set a rate, (say 20%) and make it permanent….by law. Each tax paying entity will allocate 20% off the top for taxes. It will simplify the process. Make budgeting easier for everyone, (personal, business, corporate & govt.), and bring in tons of money. Of course this means accountants and CPA’s will have to find other work, that tax lawyers will need to get another job, and the employees of the IRS will have to learn to flip burgers. Oh I know the arguments about how it will hurt the poor, damage investment, and ruin non-profits. None of which is relevant. No need to overhaul what is working now since it favors the government and the very wealthy, not to mention the mass of red tape needed to hold it all together. Simplicity has never been one of our governments attributes, even if it works. We need to protect jobs, elected offices, lobbyists, partnerships between government and big business, and our precious trade deficit. The more complicated the machinery, the easier to have it be misused and manipulated for profit and power. How about using the “k.i.s.s.” method…..”keep it simple, stupid!”
Reduce the IRS completely along with the salaries of all the branches of goverment.
Whatever happened to Lois Lerner? NOTHING. Sure she had a few uncomfortable moments taking the 5th Amendment in front of a congressional committee. Then she got to retire on her six figure retirement income and live the good life. Prediction: the same thing will happen to Hunter Biden and his dad. Meanwhile, Gen. Flynn, who served his country honorably as a Marine, was excoriated in the press and black mailed by the FBI to protect his son. The rules are different if you are a progressive Democrat than for anyone else.
King George the 3rd would be proud, not even he taxed the colonies as much as our own government since 1913 with the ratification of the 16th Amendment. Instead of supersizing the IRS, I’m in favor of repealing the 16th Amendment and putting the federal government on a diet.
When President Trump lowered taxes for most people and corporations that was positive. The downside was it did not go far enough. People who never worked a day in their lives still received The Earned Income Credit each year simply by having children. Does The IRS audit them to see how many children they have and why they refuse to work? The word “Earned” is a joke!
The entire Tax Code should have been overhauled years ago! This is why we have Billionaires that can pay next to nothing and corporations that moved out of America to avoid taxes. All we are asking for is fairness here! Even seasoned CPAs have great difficulty understanding the code! Years ago I read an article in a financial magazine. 38 seasoned CPAs were given a complex hypothetical return to complete. Only 1 in 38 completed the return correctly!
Many people have had the experience of attempting to contact The IRS and speaking to a person who cannot answer the questions! That is if you are lucky enough to get through! If the Dems and RINOs are going to increase the number of IRS employees how about getting more who can answer questions competently!
When it comes to audits I fully expect conservative organizations will be targeted while companies that hire “Illegals” will get a “Free Pass” I personally do not cheat on my tax returns and am not worried about an audit since I have documentation.
Since the new plan is to raise Capital Gains Taxes then they should need less IRS Auditors. During The Reagan Era when Capital Gains Taxes were lowered it brought in more Tax Revenue since people did not hold onto their Investments as long. But the new Wealth Tax will take care of that! I still cannot understand while these people call themselves “Progressives”!
Just when I thought you couldn’t squeeze blood out of a turnip.
This is so sticking what the Biden Administration is doing to our country when is this going to end? Lord help us.
I enjoyed this article immensely in that it reminded me of the days a few decades ago when the IRS would audit an individual to the point of confiscating the entire bank account/s checking and savings, putting federal stoppages, then, threaten the said individual to the point of suicide and to express the conclusion of a given case, simply say. oh we made a mistake it was another with a name that just sounded like the one we were looking for. In the meantime the guy is dead, his former wife is/was still elderly, has no money to live on and has got to go on welfare. This was some of the nightmares that were printed in newspapers a few decades ago. And this is what some republicans wanted to return to. SHAME ON THEM.
Making IRS bigger is a real thumb your nose act to Americans. What needs to be done is simplify the tax code so that a normal person can do their own taxes & get rid of all the loopholes voted in that favor the rich. Trump alluded to getting rid of one thing when he was debating Hilliary, but it was never done during his four years. He told Hilliary he paid no taxes cuz he was smarter than other people. Do you remember this debate exchange.
CUT funding to IRS, not increase!
Perhaps the IRS will able to go after the politicians themselves for tax evasion.
IRS is not part of the USA government. It is part United Nations. The Attorney General and Secretary of the Treasury and has to renounce their citizenship. They are paid by the UN. Employees of IRS are not hired by US Government. They work for the United Nations. When you pay your taxes the money goes to the UN. Look it up. Cleverly hidden in the “law”. UN has an agreement with UN Secretary of Treasury (former US citizens). Our money goes to the International Monetary Fund & International Fund for Reconstruction and Development.
Actually, The Corporation of the United States is bankrupt. So Joe is the president of a bankrupt corporation…Conspiracy theory is true… .
Read history of: Krushev speech to UN in Sept. 1959 & he spoke of 8-levels of control to create Socialism. #3 was “DEBT—Increase the debt to an unsustainable level. That way you are able to raise taxes & increase poverty”, NOW: look back at last 12-years that debt has increased every year & wonder why.
We need a complete cleaning out of congress. Get rid of everyone of them and elect conservative, freedom loving Americans.
Can we revive the old tax payer’s wish to go to a FLAT TAX? 10% is adequate realistically to fund most required services but even 15% would be tolerable if it were to be applied across the board. Then we could downsize the IRS and apply all those salaries and expenses to infrastructure needs.
Now that they figured out exactly how to implement ruinous stimulus schemes on the taxpayers and are out to destroy capitalism thru massive government spending and with trillions of dollars now available to them thru this pandemic that allowed the sabotage of our system they will never stop in there quest for full and total control of everything and everyone.
The IRS should not be enlarged. It should be eliminated from its current role by replacing the income tax with the Fair Tax, a sales tax that would be much more simple and fair. No more tax shelters for rich people and big corporations. Every person would pay his fair share. If you buy the product or service, you pay the tax. No more need for annual filing of tax forms. Has AMAC strongly supported the Fair tax, as it should?
So, Biden is sending out his forces to make sure everyone is vaccinated(we want to see your papers), Pelosi is sending capitol police to states to enforce? while dems and blm march to defund local police?–sounds like the dems want nothing less than to nationalize and miklitarize a force to control people. And, we will be looking at tens of thousands of new IRS agents to go after anyone who doesn’t comply with conservative ideas so that they may be stripped of any properties they may hold. Tell me afgain how the Germans and other Commuist countries took over?
better would be to find out to cut government spending. This is a very scary action considering the excessive waste and political desires.
The Socialist Dem Left always accused Trump of undermining our Democracy
But if there ever was a threat to our democracy and freedoms
A Bloated Pervasive Invasive IRS would be It.
Typical big government. More waste of spending, in an already bloated service.
500,000 new immigrants this year not paying taxes but using resourcesq
What percent of the $1T is actually going for infrastructure? Is it like the 9% of allocated funds going for COVID? These Dems and Rinos are bankrupting and destroying America. They are not representatives of Legak American Taxpayer Citizens. They are hypocrites and should be forced out of office, thrown in jait for Treason. They are destroying the middle class.
I can’t believe they are spending our money like it is theirs. Something has to change! They certainly aren’t representing us when they put that money where they are.
To every liberal including the Democratic Party, EVERYTHING is politics. They are consumed with politics and their own political power, so if they can take an overly powerful government agency and weaponize it to suit their political goals they will. And they are. We’re even seeing it in the military, making our future very questionable at best. The left has been waging racial and class warfare for years all for the same purpose – their political power. And if we can’t stop it, this nation is headed for the dustbin of history. I’m old enough it won’t matter much to my wife and I but I bleed for my grandkid’s futures.
Why is anyone surprised” it’s their MO to a T, I’m convinced they outright stole the election,Mike Lindell as well as an Army of top tear intelligence professionals handed you the evidence”, biden as well as his family is Corrupt ” along with the companies that manage the voting machines Yet” no one is or has tackled this issue and as far as I know or can find out every municipality that has them has made no plans to change, Honestly all I hear is hot air and talking heads!
Election Integrity MY ASS !!!
We don’t need the IRS to be supersized!!! They can’t even do their job now, I filed taxes mid March & am still waiting for my small refund WTH ???
The gestapo is alive and well. In America we call them the Internal Revenue Service. Back in the 70’s we were audited. My tax man assured me that the deduction they were questioning was definitely legal. They charged me $800 and I paid it because they are brutal. My tax man told me to get certain tax law books from my congressman to prove my case (no home computers in those days). He sent me a huge stack of tax law books. It took me two years to find the statute I needed. I sent a copy to the IRS and requested a refund. They said the statute of limitations was passed, and kept our money. Why didn’t they know their own rules? They never should have audited us, but they new it would be next to impossible for me to find the information I needed. That’s who they’re giving more money and power to. God help us!! President Trump we need you back in office to fight for us.
We need a 10% flat tax. Then we won’t need the IRS. No deductions, no hassles. No confusing tax forms. 10% of gross and done.
They have ways for figuring out if you’re supporting your life style with cash
And time and resources are on their side to run an investigation.
The issue is who do these representatives think they are??
What makes them entitiled to money that WE earn??
This group works FOR and FOLLOWS what REAL CITIZENS TELL THEM for a better America!!
NOT WHATEVER THEY WANT!!
I care NOT AT ALL what politicians want!
We the People are in charge, everybody should STOP accepting tyranny, socialism, additional attempts to take YOUR money, YOUR freedom and FORCE YOU to accept anything!!
Make them accountable to YOU.
NO critical racism teaching in schools, NO restricting OR removing YOUR second amnendment rights, NO illegal immigration, NO green new deal, NO taxpayer funded abortion of planned parenthood,
NO change in the Suprene Court, NO defunding Our police, NO sanctuary crime ridden cities!!!
STOP discussing,allowing ,EXCUSING or ACCEPTING these politicians and their ANTI -AMERICAN,ANTI -FREEDOM,RIDICULOUS policies and actions!!
NO MORE – REMOVE THEM and elect “REAL REPRESENTATIVES of CITIZENS AND DEMAND AMERICA FIRST!
These failures spend BILLIONS on illegals in America while Seniors, Veterans and mentally ill CITIZENS barely survive!
OBVIOUSLY they care little or have failed at their responsibilites.
They are making plans to go to all crypto currencies. This will prevent any privacy in regards to our financial activities.
I will say this; I don’t believe in big government and I’m not sure it’s possible for a government agency to be efficient, but having waited 4 months now for my Federal tax refund, I can attest that it definitely isn’t efficient now!
It’s called killing the goose that lays the golden eggs!!!
Once again our government officials show they have little concern for their constituents or wasteful spending. The real concern, however, is how this allows for more abuses from the IRS. We already know from their past behavior we cannot trust them. Want to stop some of this, (I say “some” as it comes from both sides)? GET OUT AND VOTE! Elect people who truly represent your beliefs. Get your family, friends and neighbors to vote. Take people who can’t get there on their own. Speaking of beliefs, pray but remember, this was forewarned in the Bible.
Democrats more censoring of Christians and stealing their money!!!
They are purposely destroying the American economy…. So they can tell everyone that the only way to fix it is to have a one world economy and one world government…. Also…. Even though the covid vaccine is not the mark of the beast. It is a way of conditioning people to take into our body what ever the government says
And this is the reason they’re going to go to a cashless Society. So they can track every single transaction through the banks and the i r s. This is already in the plans for the great reset and a worldwide communist Society.
Institutional theft. Nuff said.
… or simplify the tax code, so IRS doesn’t need all those auditors. But no-o-o.
Is this super sized IRS ( that coincidentally has been amassing guns and ammo for some time) going to morph into the new SS or Gestapo?