Posted on 07/23/2006 8:35:51 PM PDT by Libloather
I.R.S. to Cut Tax Auditors
By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON
Published: July 23, 2006
The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.
The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency’s 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days. Kevin Brown, an I.R.S. deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after The New York Times was given internal documents by people inside the I.R.S. who oppose them.
The Bush administration has passed measures that reduce the number of Americans who are subject to the estate tax — which opponents refer to as the “death tax” — but has failed in its efforts to eliminate the tax entirely. Mr. Brown said in a telephone interview Friday that he had ordered the staff cuts because far fewer people were obliged to pay estate taxes under President Bush’s legislation.
But six I.R.S. estate tax lawyers whose jobs are likely to be eliminated said in interviews that the cuts were just the latest moves behind the scenes at the I.R.S. to shield people with political connections and complex tax-avoidance devices from thorough audits.
Sharyn Phillips, a veteran I.R.S. estate tax lawyer in Manhattan, called the cuts a “back-door way for the Bush administration to achieve what it cannot get from Congress, which is repeal of the estate tax.”
Mr. Brown dismissed as preposterous any suggestion that the I.R.S. was soft on rich tax cheats.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I just took a peek in the DUmpster to see how they were reacting. Enjoy ! :-) http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x2406723
Cool tagline too !
So if, God forbid, your wife or daughter gets raped you would want the perp prosecuted by the...local dentist?
"Where were you when the other poster cheerily implied support for murdering all lawyers?"
Read your post 13. That's what you posted and that's what I replied to.
I'll go out on a limb and be unpopular here:
I don't like this. Its not a question of whether or not the system is fair in its current form or whether or not there should be a flat tax / fair tax / national sales tax / whatever.
The audits on these returns bring in a substantial amount of taxes. If these people are underpaying their taxes, they are either being negligent or are committing a crime. If you don't like the law, work to get it changed, but tax evasion isn't right. People violating the law should be found, investigated, and prosecuted if the errors were intentional.
Love how the MSM always goes to a disinterested party for an opinion.
It's time for the FairTax!!!
Learn about context.
Look at the post I was replying to.
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