Current Events > doesn't matter what the tax rate is if you gut the tax collectors

(+) Yeah! (+)

cant do x if you do y . meme

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/01/business/economy/irs-tax-fraud-audit.html

The I.R.S. typically catches such evasion by auditing taxpayers. Theoretically, evidence picked up in audits can be used to start criminal cases.

But the rate at which the agency audits tax returns has plummeted by 42 percent since the budget cuts started. Criminal referrals were always rare and are becoming rarer still, dropping to 328 in 2016 from 589 in 2012. With the government conducting 1.2 million audits in 2016, thats one criminal referral for roughly every 3,600 audits.

The focus of auditors and tax collectors is not to identify fraud, its to collect tax, said a special agent, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Management has set other priorities, the agent said, so by default, the employees are not doing it.

In addition, current and former I.R.S. agents say audits are not as intensive as they used to be. Because the I.R.S. pushes agents to close audits more quickly, they make fewer requests for records and interviews.


if I were ever president or in a presidential administration, I would lobby hard to drastically increase the IRS's budget

1) you get more revenue without raising taxes
2) you get to kick a bunch of rich dudes in the teeth (metaphorically)
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Law and order for thee, not for me
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