Private Firms to Chase Delinquent Taxpayers

Washington Post ^ | 5 December 2004 | Dan Morgan and Albert B. Crenshaw

[concretebob]

When Reps. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) teamed up in September to get the House to pass an amendment blocking the use of private companies to collect back taxes from delinquent taxpayers, it seemed the Bush administration plan might be doomed for at least a year.

[concretebob]

Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.
I do know if we had a NRST, it would cease to be an issue.

[concretebob]

TAX NEWS PING

[Raffus]

I agree with you 100%. The only "fair" way.

[concretebob]

PING

[ancient_geezer]

At the very least it's worth a bump for discussion.

A Taxreform bump for you all.

If you would like to be added to this ping list let me know.

John Linder in the House & Saxby Chambliss Senate, offer a comprehensive bill to kill all income and payroll taxes outright, and provide a IRS free replacement in the form of a retail sales tax:

H.R.25, S.1493
A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national retail sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.

Refer for additional information: http://www.fairtax.org, http://www.salestax.org & http://www.geocities.com/cmcofer/ftax.html

[concretebob]

I was hoping you'd say that

[ancient_geezer]

Hmmm, farming tax enforcement out to bounty hunters, and the kings tax collectors?

Seems that one goes waaaaay back in English history.

[MeekOneGOP]

bump!

[concretebob]

I'm having visions of black sweatshirts and web-gear. This could get someone hurt.
IRS agents don't have to follow 4th and 5th Admendment rights, would these private agents be like bail enforcement agents?

[jackbill]

Depending on who these collectors go after, I believe that it could be a good thing. For instance:

People on both sides of the issue say they believe IRS workers can collect unpaid taxes more cheaply and effectively than contract collectors. But because of chronic staff shortages and other resource constraints, IRS workers often are unable to follow up until years later.

This has been a particular problem with "companies" submitting forms for taxes that they have collected from their employees - income tax and FICA - but they don't submit the funds. The IRS takes years to go after these people and by the time they find them, they have closed shop and are operating under another name.

The minute that the IRS gets a form without the funds, they should turn it over to a collector. Catch the bastards before they can hide.

Billions of dollars a year are lost through this scam, which the perpetrators know is fool-proof, because the IRS doesn't respond for years.

[concretebob]

On the subject of the NRST, how would a plan like that be phased in?
Anyone given any thought to that?

[lizma]

Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) is a big time Marxist. This can't be good.

[concretebob]

As one who has survived as an employee of a corporation which mis-used witholding and personal deductions, I have to say the IRS is thorough.
Of course, there was bank and wire fraud involved, so that may have been the impetus.

[concretebob]

Which makes me wonder if the lady from WVA is a Rockefeller Republican.

[crz]

Now whats this tell us? It tells us that it is impossible for the government to collect all taxes under the present system.

So they think it would be best to hire out to someone to do what they are supposed to do. A failure chasing a failure in the making.

A properly instituted NRST (NOT THE VAT) will make ALL this mute, null and VOID!

[concretebob]

Found this. I was astounded at the bias in the wording. Although it is the AFL/CIO website.

http://www.aflcio.org/issuespolitics/votes/member.cfm?state=WV&page=1

11. PRIVATIZATION—H.R. 2989—In 2002, the Bush administration announced plans to privatize and contract out more than 850,000 federal jobs. In May, the Office of Management and Budget announced new rules that gutted previous regulations designed to create a level playing field between private contractors seeking government work and the agencies and workers performing the work. Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) offered an amendment to the FY 2004 Treasury, Transportation and Independent Agencies appropriations bill that would have blocked implementation of the new pro-contractor privatization process. The amendment passed Sept. 9, 2003, 220–198: Y=R; N=W (R: 26–195; D: 193–3; I: 1–0)

[DustyMoment]

Not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

Trust me, it's a bad thing. Think about it as the TSA doing the work of the IRS.

Pleasant dreams!

[ancient_geezer]

would these private agents be like bail enforcement agents?

Only way for them to work it is under the same set of laws that the bounty guys and common citizen operates under. If you as a citizen just happen to learn about or see evidence against anothet citizen, you are just a regular witness to the fact.

Guess what no 4th or 5th amendment protection operating against the use of that kind of evidence by law enforcement that I have ever run into.

[concretebob]

Then that makes this A VERY BAD IDEA.

[Revolting cat!]

The statists speak! In most countries of the world it is a most honored tradition to avoid confiscatory taxation. Here, all those who usually speak out against gummint pork, suddenly get their religion and support the thugs. Oh yes, don't tax you, don't tax me, tax the fellow behind the tree!