Posted on 07/23/2006 8:35:51 PM PDT by Libloather
I.R.S. to Cut Tax Auditors
By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON
Published: July 23, 2006
The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency’s 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days. Kevin Brown, an I.R.S. deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after The New York Times was given internal documents by people inside the I.R.S. who oppose them.
The Bush administration has passed measures that reduce the number of Americans who are subject to the estate tax — which opponents refer to as the “death tax” — but has failed in its efforts to eliminate the tax entirely. Mr. Brown said in a telephone interview Friday that he had ordered the staff cuts because far fewer people were obliged to pay estate taxes under President Bush’s legislation.
But six I.R.S. estate tax lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said in interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves behind the scenes at the I.R.S. to shield people with political connections and complex tax-avoidance devices from thorough audits.
Sharyn Phillips, a veteran I.R.S. estate tax lawyer in Manhattan, called the cuts a “back-door way for the Bush administration to achieve what it cannot get from Congress, which is repeal of the estate tax.”
Mr. Brown dismissed as preposterous any suggestion that the I.R.S. was soft on rich tax cheats.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
You know the old joke:
What do you call 100 dead lawyers?
A GOOD START!
Hmmm, looking for the down side here....
Oh, you didn't mean...?
Never mind. Ya' really had me going there for a minute. Ha! Ha!
Least I'll have sweet dreams tonight.
A surgical reduction in force? Boy, that IRS is good.
Lawyers will be the downfall of the American Dream.
Uh, oh! More lawyers chasing ambulances and frivolous lawsuits on the streets!
A: Not enough concrete
Q: What's black and brown and looks good on a lawyer?
A: A doberman.
St. Peter replies, "Why, of course it's because you're the oldest man ever to live on earth - 986 years old!"
The lawyer replies, "There must be some mistake! I'm only 73."
St. Peter says, "Dang! We were going by your timesheets."
I doubt these lawyers will be lamenting very long. They can get much more in private practice.
Some lawyers can. Others are scrounging for public defender work and bankruptcy cases.
All these guys will be out of a job once the FairTax is passed.
Any gummint job, the wages stink but the benefits are wonderful.
You know the old joke:
What do you call 100 dead lawyers?
A GOOD START!
This is how the NYT is getting all their "leaks" from the "intellegence agencies" and other agencies throughout the government. All the Clinton/Democrap hires are deep throating their bile to the NYT, who is trying to run President Bush outa town on a rail with tar and feathers all over him!!!
The NYT is hurting not only national security, but the general administration of the government by elected representatives of US!!! Why do we just sit here at our keyboards and take it??? This has to stop or we might as well quit having elections and just let the illegitimate bastards run everything like the leftist dictators they wanna be!!!
I couldn't even get through this first paragraph without breaking out laughing and glancing up to see where this liberal, leftist, 'Rat talking point was literally being parroted from. Talk about lack of any plan or idea.
This whole thing was written as if it came directly off the 'Rat talking points fax--- from the 2000 election! Can't they even come up with something besides the old, trite "for the richest 1% of Americans" krap?? Apparently not.
Are there still unwashed, sub-idiot IQ people out there who actually believe this stuff? Oh, that's right, only about 50% of the population, judging from the voting of the last two Pres. elections.
What maroons!
I have had too much contact with IRS personnel, including lawyers. They are unbelievably bad. Getting mixed up with them is like being sent to the gulag.
not at all smartarse, i will take care of him myself lest one of you dirt bags gets him off on some tech issue
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