Taxpayers stiff IRS by nearly $300B

CNN MONEY ^ | March 29, 2005 | CNN MONEY

[pigdog]

Plenty ... how do you think we got into this lousy tax system in the first place - and have remained in it for almost 100 years.

It's partly our fault, too, though ... and we need to correct that.

[thoughtomator]

I'm not sure what GS-13 is... I'm really brand new to working for the government in any capacity... but from what I have seen, the waste is worse the lower in the heirarchy you go. Absolutely nothing is expected of the folks at the bottom, except maybe that they actually show up to work (I'll have to get back to you on that one). The folks in the higher-level positions by and large do seem focused on getting work done, with a few exceptions.

I guess that the higher ranks have more corruption-style waste, fraud, and abuse, whereas the lower ranks have more of the sloth-style. Either way, what Ambassador Bolton once said about the UN could be easily applied to pretty much any part of the federal government.

[Finger Monkey]

Fair Tax Act bumpage, perhaps?

[CommieCutter]

Good. More money for the economy.

Let's talk about tax payer money that get's spent on items other than it was intended for --like in NO. Thanks CNN! ;-)

[Dont_Tread_On_Me_888]

NOTE: In his 2006 budget, President Bush requested an additional $500 million be devoted to IRS enforcement efforts, which is a 7.8 percent increase over the $6.4 billion spent last year.

President Bush Thumbed His Nose at the Fair Tax proposal by requesting MORE $ for the IRS.

What a good president would have done is CUT the budget for the IRS and then demand a consumption tax. That way, honest taxpayers like you and I don't get screwed and the skimmers and the whores and the drug delaers et al. pay their fair share.

[CommieCutter]

I wonder if this non-taxed money is the reason the economy continues to roar amidst disasters and high oil? Just a thought.
I'm not an economist so I have no clue.

[pigdog]

Sounds good to me ... and we'll no doubt soon be joined by those who struggle mighty hard:

to not tax illegal aliens;
to retain the 1/2 to 1 Trillion compliance costs & the net tax gap mentioned in the article;
to boost our exporters prices because of the embedded tax costs;
to boost prices on everything we buy buy these same embedded tax costs;

etc.

Shouldn't be long and you'll recogfnize them by their lack of any real alternate tax plan.

[satchmodog9]

When they start spending my taxes wisely, I will start paying the proper amount.

[xcamel]

Top 50% of Wage Earners Pay 96.03% of Income Taxes

There is new data for 2001. The share of total income taxes paid by the top 1% fell to 33.89% from 37.42% in 2000. This is mainly because their income share (not just wages) fell from 20.81% to 17.53%. However, their average tax rate actually rose slightly from 27.45% to 27.50%.

[Bahbah]

I know the previous paragraph seems a bit off-topic

I don't think so. What is my fair share of laziness and ineptitude? Why should I be asked to pay for it at all?

[Kokojmudd]

Yes, I know the previous paragraph seems a bit off-topic but I felt a reminder as to where that money would otherwise go (the toilet) helps to put it in perspective.

Yeah, but that toilet has a $500 seat.

[Fresh Wind]

I firmly believe you have to be a GS-13 or above to *truly* commit waste, fraud, and abuse.

Trust me, there's PLENTY of fraud, waste, and abuse happening at lower pay levels!

[varon]

The major source for the gap -- about 80 percent of it -- is from individual taxpayers underreporting their income.

Perhaps these taxpayers are just creating their own 'loopholes' since they don't have a lobbyist paying a congress critter to create one for them ;-)

[Jeff Gordon]

Tax cuts are good for the economy. Likewise tax evasion must be good for the economy.

[meyer]

Given the complication of the code, how can they possibly have any idea at what rate people "stiffed" the IRS?

[varyouga]

I'm playing the world smallest violin for the IRS

[xcamel]

and the simple fact that no nation ever taxed itself onto prosperity

[varyouga]

Now imagine if the LIBS have their way and every company is run like that. The US would collapse in a week.

[sgtbono2002]

Get Jesse Jackson to pay his fair share.

[nothingnew]

Good.

Indeed.

I have updated my FMCDH (From My Cold Dead Hands) sign-off with the addition of (BITS).....Blood In The Streets, which I foresee coming soon, due to the enormous increase of the Marxist progressive movement being shoved down the throat of this failing REPUBLIC through the Judicial tyranny of fiat law, the passing of unconstitutional laws by the Legislative and Executive branches of our government and the enormous tax burden placed upon the average American to support unconstitutional programs put forth by Marxist ideology.

I do not advocate revolution. I only think of what I foresee.

FMCDH(BITS)