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IRS: Sorry, but It’s Just Easier and Cheaper to Audit the Poor
www.propublica.org ^ | by Paul Kiel Oct. 2, 2:47 p.m. EDT

Posted on 10/02/2019 1:31:15 PM PDT by Red Badger

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To: Red Badger

It’s past time to disband this national disgrace. Inefficient and corrupt and staffed by lazy bureaucrats.


41 posted on 10/02/2019 2:38:42 PM PDT by LouAvul
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To: Red Badger

I got two letters from the IRS 16 years ago. I ignored the first, but called the IRS and spoke with a young-sounding agent. The IRS wanted me to sign a document agreeing to an imputed level of income and agreeing to pay income tax on that amount.

I asked him if the document was a contract; and he agreed that it was. Asked him if he was aware that attempting to force a person a contract was illegal and unconstitutional. He admitted that it was. Asked him if he really thought I was going to sign it. His response, “Probably not.”

I also asked him if he could send me the statute, not the IRS code, that required me in my circumstance to pay an income tax; and send me a copy. That was the last I have heard from the IRS.


42 posted on 10/02/2019 2:51:59 PM PDT by WASCWatch
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To: Red Badger

“ The agency uses relatively low-level employees to audit returns for low-income taxpayers who claim the earned income tax credit.”

I have no complaint about them going after EITC fraud. Illegals in particular, are famous for this kind of fraud.


43 posted on 10/02/2019 3:00:41 PM PDT by VanShuyten ("...that all the donkeys were dead. I know nothing as to the fate of the less valuable animals.")
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To: Red Badger

Given that there supposedly equal protection under the law I don’t see how this is a problem.

Focusing on the rich would be a commie thing in my book.


44 posted on 10/02/2019 3:28:33 PM PDT by fruser1
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To: Red Badger

The only logical approach is to audit where the most money is. Audits are not aboout the number of people. They are about the amount of money.


45 posted on 10/02/2019 4:10:39 PM PDT by spintreebob
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To: Red Badger

Auditing EITC claimants is a good thing, there is quite the opportunity for fraud in that program.


46 posted on 10/02/2019 4:15:24 PM PDT by Valpal1
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To: jmcenanly

I think the cops target the working class or middle class for speeding etc.....working class don’t have the money for lawyers and the cops figure the middle class, being dutiful and law obiding generally, will just pay up simply and quickly without a hearing....


47 posted on 10/02/2019 4:16:32 PM PDT by cherry
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To: fruser1

If random, yes. If based upon questionable practices, no.

Wealthy persons are far more likely to file complex returns, utilizing various techniques to reduce tax payments. Some of those applications would be arguable; hence the audit.

The poor often do not itemize at all.


48 posted on 10/02/2019 4:22:24 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: Red Badger

1. Amendment 16, Income Tax, and the IRS are the products of a progressive (a euphemism for communist) wealth redistribution political agenda.

2. They are nevertheless treated as law of the land. As loathsome as I find the tax code, it must be revoked, altered, or enforced as is.

3. The very wealthy - who are much more likely to make many questionable deductions as part of a complicated return - should not be given a pass just because they have the money and power to fight the IRS as the poor cannot.


49 posted on 10/02/2019 4:31:07 PM PDT by YogicCowboy ("I am not entirely on anyone's side, because no one is entirely on mine." - J. R. R. Tolkien)
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To: FewsOrange

Agree, but that’s not what the article says.


50 posted on 10/02/2019 6:39:38 PM PDT by econjack
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To: FreedomPoster

Agree, but it’s time for people to simply stand up for the truth, especially the GOP. If the facts are true and the Left doesn’t like it, that’s their problem, not ours. Hard to argue when you say: “The facts speak for themselves independent of what you want.”


51 posted on 10/02/2019 6:42:50 PM PDT by econjack
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To: Red Badger

End the income tax, any tax on individuals instead of transactions invites any number of abuses.

The Federal government should be restricted to tariffs and a tax on state budgets, some have said a tax on state budgets would be unconstitutional but we can fix that with an amendment which we would want to prevent any other kinds of taxes anyway.

Let the states decide how to tax their citizens and handle the enforcement, while rewarding low taxing and low spending by states.


52 posted on 10/02/2019 8:13:10 PM PDT by Farcesensitive
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To: Red Badger
Let me provide some background. I own a Subchapter S corporation, which mingles my personal and business taxes into one filing with the IRS. I also have a lot of stock investments some foreign and most domestic that get into some complex tax issues.

I have a CPA prepare my taxes. For my 2016 and 2018 taxes the IRS has told me I misrepresented my income by 6 figures. Actually, I had not. It took months of my CPA arguing with the IRS before in both cases. The 2016 calendar year resulted in not change and admission that the CPA was right all along. The resolution of the 2018 was that I owed $29.

In taking to my CPA, they told me that the skilled folks at the IRS are retiring in droves and the fresh out of college replacements don't have a clue as to real world accounting, complex tax law or how the real world works in regards to financial planning.

It is much easier to run over people who are even more clueless than the IRS agents.

53 posted on 10/02/2019 10:20:20 PM PDT by Robert357
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To: spintreebob

Reporter: Why do you rob banks?

Willie Sutton: Because that’s where the money is!.............


54 posted on 10/03/2019 6:19:10 AM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: Farcesensitive
...and a tax on state budgets

It IS unconstitutional. The Constitution has a clause that prohibits direct taxation of the States. The likelihood of the States passing and amendment allowing the Federal government to tax THEM is zilch, zip, zero, nada..................

55 posted on 10/03/2019 6:25:27 AM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: Robert357

The biggest check I have ever written was to the IRS for +$12k .......hurt like hell.................


56 posted on 10/03/2019 6:26:24 AM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: Red Badger

“It IS unconstitutional. The Constitution has a clause that prohibits direct taxation of the States. The likelihood of the States passing and amendment allowing the Federal government to tax THEM is zilch, zip, zero, nada..................”


There is no direct prohibition of such a tax in the Constitution but I have been told that certain implicit principles of Constitutional law prohibit it.

I said we would want an amendment to be sure and to prohibit all other forms of domestic taxation by the feds and the states should agree because it actually empowers the states at the expense of the feds.
It lets the states, determine the manner of taxation, get their hands on all the money that currently goes to the feds and gives them the power to collect interest on it until they have to pass it on or even delay or stop passing it on in any dispute with the feds.
The only reason any state would resist is because the tax and spend blue states would be penalized and have to give more to the feds than low tax and low spending red states.


57 posted on 10/03/2019 12:35:46 PM PDT by Farcesensitive
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To: Farcesensitive

16th Amendment

The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several states, and without regard to any census or enumeration.


The Congress cannot tax one state more and another state less, regardless of the populations of those states. the Citizens of California must pay the same taxes as the Citizens of Wyoming.


58 posted on 10/03/2019 12:44:37 PM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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To: Red Badger

The states would all pay the same rate, just like the current income tax only with out the progressive feature.

But I said we would want an amendment to cover all the bases and eliminate all other federal domestic taxation anyway.


59 posted on 10/03/2019 3:18:09 PM PDT by Farcesensitive
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To: Farcesensitive

A Flat Tax, has been proposed, in different forms over the last few decades. It never goes anywhere.

The reason?

Power.

The Power to tax is the Power to destroy. These are the words of Daniel Webster and Chief Justice John Marshall who lived in the days of the Founders. They knew a thing or two about destruction and taxes.

The current Tax Code is the way it is because it brings in power and money to those who have crafted it. They will not let that go easily...........................


60 posted on 10/04/2019 6:11:48 AM PDT by Red Badger (Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain...................)
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