Taxpayers stiff IRS by nearly $300B

CNN MONEY ^ | March 29, 2005 | CNN MONEY

[pigdog]

There's still a yawning gap between what some taxpayers owe and what they pay, according to the IRS. That gap -- known as the net tax gap -- is between $257 billion and $298 billion, according to preliminary findings from a three-year study on taxpayer compliance released Tuesday.

"Even after IRS enforcement efforts and late payments, the government is being shortchanged by over a quarter-trillion dollars by those who pay less than their fair share," IRS Commissioner Mark Everson said in a statement.

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

[chronic_loser]

I hear you. I used to work as a consultant to the fed, and I was ASTOUNDED at the absolutely worthless, lazy, pathetic specimens I used to work with. Show up for work 20 mins late, drink coffee and read the paper for an hour, shoot the breeze about football, fishing, politics (not around me!), or whatever for another 30 mins. Then read emails for another 30, then do some lab "work" for about 2 hours. Time for an hour lunch! Then a "meeting' where absolutely nothing gets done for an hour and a half. Check email for 30 mins. Do a little lab work, start winding down for the day.

I left when I realized I was listening to Rush, not because I LIKED him that much, but just to piss off the moonbats I worked with.

[Conservative Goddess]

"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.

I'd like to think that he's crazy like a fox here....allowing the IRS, no giving the IRS enough rope to hang themselves....by making it just too dang expensive to maintain.

[xrp]

Well said.

[dakine]

Stuck at 11/12?

[groanup]

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

It's time that about 10 million of us show up at the capital with pitchforks and torches..., at least.

[satchmodog9]

When?

[groanup]

Now would seem a good time.

[Bigun]

“If an enemy power bent on destroying our nation were somehow given the opportunity to devise our tax code with a goal of sapping the nation of its economic vitality, impairing the moral fiber of it’s people, wasting huge resources on unproductive administration, and causing division and frustration in it’s people, it could do little better than to adopt our current Internal Revenue Code…The American Tax system is a complete mess.”
Richard Vedder (Hearing before the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Internal Revenue Service of the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate, 98the Cong., 2nd Sess., September 17,1984) p.130

Nothing at all has changed for the better since the above testimony was given. Nothing that is except for the fact that we the people now have a REAL opportunity to do something about it!

http://www.fairtax.org

[manic4organic]

Only when the common folk are required to keep up with their witholding tax.

[Lazamataz]

What, RIGHT now?

[groanup]

After Hannity and Colmes.

[Sensei Ern]

You MUST be brand new to think the higher ups are focussed on getting work done.

[Lazamataz]

After Hannity and Colmes.

See? Not even our organizers are willing to sacrifice.

The revolution died in childbirth.

[groanup]

Me? Organizer? Pfffft. I have this problem: nobody listens to me.

[B4Ranch]

"The folks in the higher-level positions by and large do seem focused on getting work done, with a few exceptions."

They are only adapting to the 'new' elected officials and making certain their budgets will not be reduced.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Well I figure I'm getting short-changed....and not getting my monies worth. So we are even.

Are you sure? I think we are getting more government than we can afford.

[Mind-numbed Robot]

Heck that's probably only another quarter Trillion bux or so - do we really care about such small change?

That is just another embedded cost in the present system.

[ChildOfThe60s]

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

They don't. The computer models for this can be fiddled as easily as any, as evidenced by the global warming models.

GIGO

[rvoitier]

It's not looting if you're doing it to survive. The MSM told me so.

[ChildOfThe60s]

Dear Mark Everson: Speaking of "fair share", when is the government going to let us KEEP our fair share of OUR money?

Signed,

A taxpayer whose brain is bigger than his d**k. Which puts me way ahead of you. Moron.