What infuriates me is that they sell the list of people who have been notified of a change in their taxes to some outside marketers. That should be against the law.
Every few years, 6-8 or so, I used to get a notice that the IRS found some discrepancy in something like a stock price differential or some minerals income. Its was never much - maybe $50 or less.
They would send me a notice and within 1 day, I would receive 5-6 letters or even post cards from businesses that said in big letters "In Trouble with the IRS? Call So-and-So."
That's really fun when you have the neighbors pick up your mail if you're out of town or you just have your mail lying about on the kitchen table. I called the IRS about it, but they denied that anybody ever did that.
The only time I got those things was right after - and once, right before - an IRS notice. Who else would've given out that info? Grrrr.
The IRS probably didn't; an individual IRS employee, looking to supplement his income, most likely did the deed. Notice that these folks are usually former IRS agents; they probably rely on old contacts inside the IRS for prospect lists.
It's time for the FairTax!!!