S.O.S. For The I.R.S. (Tom Ashbrook, On Point)

Nobody loves the I.R.S.  The Internal Revenue Service.  The nation’s tax collector.  The heat was especially high last year when the I.R.S. was accused of going after political non-profits – conservative, then liberal, too.  But on the core function of the I.R.S., most would agree that if you’re going to have tax collection we need it done well.  Need an I.R.S. that’s efficient, competent, responsive, on top of fraud.  And some big reports are saying that we do not.  That fraud is rife, tax collections shrinking.  That the I.R.S. can’t keep up and may “fail at its mission.”  This hour On Point:  does the nation’s tax-collector still have what it takes to do the job? /  Tom Ashbrook

Interview:
http://onpoint.wbur.org/2014/02/24/tax-season-irs-refunds

Former commissioners tell Congress, ‘The IRS is stretched to the breaking point,’ so stop slashing its budget - The Washington Post

“Over the last 50 years none of us has ever witnessed anything like what has happened to the IRS appropriations over the last five years and the impact these reductions are having on our tax system,” wrote the former commissioners, who served in the Kennedy, Johnson, Reagan, Bush, Clinton and Bush administrations. “It is clear to each of us that the [reductions] over the last five years materially and adversely affect the ability of the IRS to assist taxpayers who are trying to comply with their tax obligations, as well as the ability of of the IRS to detect and deter taxpayers who have not complied with their tax obligations.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/federal-eye/wp/2015/11/13/former-commissioners-tell-congress-the-irs-is-stretched-to-the-breaking-point-so-stop-slashing-its-budget/

IRS shutdown possible amid budget cuts, agency chief says - The Washington Post

“Today, the IRS is struggling to keep the lights on,” NTEU president Colleen M. Kelley said in a statement this week. “Not only do these cuts threaten our voluntary tax-compliance system, they also reduce the ability of the IRS to continue to collect 93 percent of our nation’s revenue.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/federal-eye/wp/2015/01/16/irs-shutdown-possible-amid-budget-cuts-agency-chief-says/

Robert Reich: The IRS and the Real Scandal -- The IRS has interpreted our tax laws to allow big corporations and wealthy individuals to make unlimited secret campaign donations through sham political fronts called “social welfare organizations”

Robert Reich: The IRS and the Real Scandal -- The IRS has interpreted our tax laws to allow big corporations and wealthy individuals to make unlimited secret campaign donations through sham political fronts called "social welfare organizations"
REDDIT TOP NEWS | MAY 20, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/lQqy1

Justice Department: No criminal charges in IRS probe

"Our investigation uncovered substantial evidence of mismanagement, poor judgment and institutional inertia leading to the belief by many tax-exempt applicants that the IRS targeted them based on their political viewpoints,'' Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik said Friday in a notification letter to Congress.

"But poor management is not a crime. We found no evidence that that any IRS official acted based on political discriminatory, corrupt or other inappropriate motives that would support a criminal prosecution.''
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/10/23/justice-closes-investigation-of-irs-no-criminal-charges-poor-management-not-a-crime/74470404/

Should IRS crack down on politics in churches?

...The Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative group based in Arizona, sued the IRS this week to learn more about the agency’s election year plans. The lawsuit alleges the IRS is refusing to disclose details of an agreement it made with the Freedom from Religion Foundation, an atheist group, to enforce a law that would strip a church of its tax-exempt status if it were involved in obvious political activity...
http://www.kearneyhub.com/opinions/nationalview/should-irs-crack-down-on-politics-in-churches/article_34b7dae6-ea9f-11e4-b1ce-172c0bd4f637.html

Who's to blame for murky regulation in IRS scandal: Agency or lawmakers?

Who's to blame for murky regulation in IRS scandal: Agency or lawmakers?
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR | POLITICS | MAY 21, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/lSqk4

In a Senate hearing, the two most recent IRS chiefs were grilled over why the agency failed for years to fix the law at the ... Read more

Senate probe into IRS targeting of Tea Party groups issues mixed report

...The probe by the Committee on Finance followed accusations by Republicans of IRS partisan activity in targeting groups mainly linked to the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement that had applied for tax-exempt status...
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/06/us-usa-congress-irs-idUSKCN0QB01N20150806

IRS Targeted Tea Party Tax-Exempt Groups For Increased Scrutiny And Missed The Real Problem

IRS Targeted Tea Party Tax-Exempt Groups For Increased Scrutiny And Missed The Real Problem
THINKPROGRESS | MAY 10, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/lkn5v


The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) acknowledged Friday that it had improperly flagged groups applying for tax-exempt status for ... Read more

Freedom from Religion group, IRS settle lawsuit

"This is a victory, and we're pleased with this development in which the IRS has proved to our satisfaction that it now has in place a protocol to enforce its own anti-electioneering provisions," said the group's co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor.

http://journaltimes.com/news/state-and-regional/freedom-from-religion-group-irs-settle-lawsuit/article_f54e4f52-cad5-52a9-9331-a5636f1452a5.html

GOP's Obsession With IRS Has Cost Taxpayers At Least $14 Million

The GOP's obsession with hanging the IRS scandal on President Obama has turned into quite a pricey escapade.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/gop-s-obsession-with-irs-has-cost-taxpayers-at-least-14-million

IRS to Review Church Sermons for Political Bias, Big Three Networks Don't Care

"...According to Investor's Business Daily, the IRS agreed to an atheist group’s demands “to monitor sermons and homilies for proscribed speech that the foundation believes includes things like condemnation of gay marriage and criticism of ObamaCare for its contraceptive mandate...”

http://www.mrc.org/biasalerts/irs-review-church-sermons-political-bias-big-three-networks-dont-care

Republicans Seize On IRS Scandal To Smear Obamacare

Republicans Seize On IRS Scandal To Smear Obamacare
THINKPROGRESS | MAY 14, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/lr7n8


That didn't take long. A mere four days after news broke that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) had improperly targeted ... Read more

Article: Six Facts Lost in the IRS Scandal

Six Facts Lost in the IRS Scandal
http://www.propublica.org/article/six-facts-lost-in-irs-scandal

Michael Moore: The Real IRS Scandal Is That 'They Let General Electric Not Pay Any Taxes'

Michael Moore: The Real IRS Scandal Is That 'They Let General Electric Not Pay Any Taxes'
BUSINESS NEWS ON HUFFINGTON POST | MAY 19, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/lNS3J


Americans are focusing on the wrong IRS scandal, according to Michael Moore. During an appearance on "Real Time With Bill Maher" earlier this week, t... Read more

GOP’s IRS Cuts Ticking Off Taxpayers And May Cost Over $30 Billion Per Year (VIDEO)

We all love to hate the IRS, but the GOP's drastic IRS funding cuts could cost us billions. John Oliver explains. Read more
https://youtu.be/Nn_Zln_4pA8

Some Groups Targeted By IRS May Have Violated Election Law

Some Groups Targeted By IRS May Have Violated Election Law
THINKPROGRESS | MAY 27, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/m3AZR


A report conducted by the Treasury Department's Inspector General found that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) ... Read more

It's Official: IRS Scandal Is Complete BS

"Even as some in the media draw comparisons between the roiling Bridgegate scandal and the allegations of political targeting by the IRS, CNN reports that no criminal charges are likely to be filed against anyone involved in what they still call the "IRS Scandal." CNN's Carol Costello interviewed reporter Joe Johns, who noted that it was "hard to prove it wasn't just reasonable behavior by a government agency," and that "it's pretty clear some progressive groups were targeted as well." "We can say, at this point, no charges may be filed," Johns said...".* The Young Turks host Cenk Uygur breaks it down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oK9DLO8H6g

What conservatives don't understand about why the IRS must scrutinize political groups

What conservatives don't understand about why the IRS must scrutinize political groups
DAILY KOS | MAY 27, 2013
http://pulse.me/s/m41Nv


When Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregan said this during a hearing on the IRS targeting of conservative groups last Tuesday, ... Read more

GOP’s IRS Cuts Ticking Off Taxpayers And May Cost Over $30 Billion Per Year (VIDEO)

We all love to hate the IRS, but the GOP's drastic IRS funding cuts could cost us billions. John Oliver explains. Read more
https://youtu.be/Nn_Zln_4pA8