Free Republic

Nearly 5 million taxpayers who have unpaid tax bills from 2020 and 2021 will have almost $1 billion in penalty fees waived by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The IRS announced penalty relief in December for taxpayers who had outstanding tax bills but were not sent automated collection reminder notices during the pandemic. Though the notices did not go out in 2020 and 2021, the failure-to-pay penalty accrued for taxpayers who did not fully pay their bills. "As the IRS has been preparing to return to normal collection mailings, we have been concerned about taxpayers who haven't heard from us...

A report released Tuesday by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform asserted that ex-IRS official Lois Lerner waived her Fifth Amendment rights. Lerner continues to stonewall California Rep. Darrell Issa’s committee, pleading the Fifth again in a divisive Oversight hearing last Wednesday convened to get to the bottom of the IRS’ improper targeting of conservative groups between 2010 and 2012. Oversight member Rep. Jim Jordan told The Daily Caller that the committee is “moving” toward holding Lerner in contempt of Congress to compel her to testify. “I think that’s where we’re moving,” Jordan said. “I think that’s where...

A court has upheld the jaywalking ticket issued to an 82-year-old Sunland woman who slowly crossed a busy boulevard, but waived the $114 fine - a Solomonic compromise in a case that drew outrage from around the world. Mayvis Coyle of Sunland captured the attention of senior-citizens advocates - and pedestrians everywhere - after she was ticketed Feb. 15 for crossing busy Foothill Boulevard against a light. At the time, she was loaded down with groceries and walking with the help of a cane. Superior Court Commissioner Jeffrey Harkavy of San Fernando issued his ruling June 20 after reading written...

WASHINGTON - In an aggressive push by the Bush administration to open more public land to oil and gas production, the Interior Department has quit conducting environmental reviews and seeking comments from local residents every time drilling companies propose new wells. Field officials have been told to begin looking at issuing permits based on past studies of an entire project, even though some of those assessments may be outdated. The instructions are in a directive from the department's Bureau of Land Management expected to cover hundreds of anticipated new drilling applications. President Bush and Congress authorized the streamlining as part...