Posted on 01/22/2017 8:55:12 PM PST by SeekAndFind
Donald Trump’s oft-used excuse for not releasing his tax returns is that they are still under audit at the US Internal Revenue Service—no matter that this doesn’t prevent their release—but if his pick for Treasury secretary gets his way, the interminable audit may end sooner.
Steven Mnuchin, the investor tapped by Trump for the top job in US economic policy, told lawmakers at his confirmation hearing today (Jan. 19) that he would like to expand the workforce at the IRS and modernize technology there in order to collect more taxes.
“The IRS headcount has gone down quite dramatically, almost 30% over the last couple of years,” Mnuchin noted, pointing out that cutting a revenue-generating department was not exactly an efficient move. He made the observation in response to a question about the “tax gap,” or the difference between what should be collected and how much ends up in the government coffers.
He said that as Treasury secretary—whose remit includes tax collection—he would like to reverse those cuts and improve customer service, adding later that modernizing the agency would be “one of my great priorities.”
“I can assure you that the president-elect understands the concept of where we add people, we make money,” Mnuchin said. “That’s a very quick conversation with Donald Trump.”
Unspoken was that many of the lawmakers in the incoming president’s own party had voted in favor of the spending cuts that lead to those reductions in headcount. The IRS has seen its staffing reduced by some 13,000 employees since Republicans regained control of the House of Representatives in 2010. So far, Trump has promised to continue budget cutting at federal agencies.
Republicans also have been upset with the IRS over its scrutiny of conservative groups seen as potential violators of campaign finance and money laundering rules.
(Excerpt) Read more at qz.com ...
Mnuchin is by FAR my least favorite, and I hope he is not confirmed
That is a must!
The Left will be in power again one day. They must be made to fear eventual accountability.
No! "Law & order" means more government control over us.
We voted for the government to be more accountable to the people; not the other way around.
He’s very much at risk of coming off as the rich guy who thinks his team of accountants has to deal with significant IRS scrutiny and so every two-bit Joe out in the rest of the country should have to deal with it too—while simply being out of touch by what an imposition mindless IRS pressure is on the little guy who doesn’t have and can’t afford a team of accountants.
IOW - don't get yer panties all twisted up over a confirmation hearing phrase.
And Koskinen!
1st step: reassign the thousands of IRS employees working in the Obamacare/ACA enforcement division to regular IRS duties.
http://dailysignal.com/2015/02/05/irs-seeks-9000-new-employees-prepares-enforce-obamacare/
The tax code comprises tens of thousands of pages and is too complicated for citizens, businesses, and the IRS to understand.
Trump and his team need to wipe out the existing tax code and replace it with a simplified tax system. Most individuals should be able to file on a postcard and most small businesses on a single sheet of paper.
If the tax code, and tax filing are simplified, audits and enforcement will also be easier. Eliminate Obamacare, and the agency’s involvement in managing the healthcare system, and suddenly thousands of IRS agents and auditors are freed up to investigate and go after the big tax cheats.
Simplifying the tax code will also relieve the American people of the huge cost of tax compliance — the legions of accountants and tax lawyers hired by everyday citizens to prepare individual and small business returns. Free up the hundreds or thousands of dollars each citizen and small business currently pay for tax compliance and there will be billions of dollars injected into productive activities in the economy or additional savings for education and retirement. The economic boost from tax simplification will be tremendous.
In addition to simplifying the tax law, the new treasury secretary needs to weed out the political operatives, such a Lois Lerner, the Clinton and Obama administrations inserted into the bureaucracy.
Hi Congress! Remember: you write the bill, the Executive branch enforces after signing it into law.
Who’s Trump’s pick for IRS Commissioner?
If he uses the IRS to audit Soros, Clinton Foundation, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Carlos Slim, Bezos, Munchin’s previous employer Goldman Sacs, and all the leftist cronies who no doubt have not paid what they legally owe, then ok.
But if they go after small businesses, professionals who happened to make 200-300k, a big no.
Yes, that POS too.
I see.
You didn’t vote to enforce our immigration laws, including a wall and deportation of illegal aliens. You didn’t vote to treat rioters as criminals. You didn’t vote to treat Hillary like any other person who negligently handled classified data. You didn’t vote to enforce the bribery and corruption laws on people like the Clintons and their foundation.
You voted for selective enforcement of our laws and special treatment for special people you decide deserve it. You want less law & order and more rioting, arson, thuggery, knockout games, corruption, bribery, selective prosecution, selective enforcement, catch & release ICE policies, etc. so “the government can’t control us”.
Got it.
I voted for equal treatment under the law for everybody and if a law is bad to change the law. I didn’t vote to simply exchange one set of “privileged” people for a different set of “privileged” people. Tax laws are LAWS and the scofflaws effectively shift their tax burden onto honest folks like me.
“Your thoughts about him?”
He has libertarian leanings. Told me once he couldn’t stand Sean penn.
LOL, I agree with him on that sentiment for sure.
Trump tells business leaders he wants to cut regulations by 75% or 'maybe more'
Lois Lerner is a great example of Law & Order at the IRS.
We have so many laws now that everyone is a criminal. If the government decides you are an enemy, they can can show you what Law & Order looks like.
No, Lois Lerner is an example of abuse of power. She was able to do it because too many laws and regulations are subject to interpretation and/or selective enforcement.
You are describing the exact opposite of “law & order”.
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