Republicans Propose Cutting IRS Budget By 24%…Retaliation?

In a completely unsurprising turn of events, the GOP is proposing a 24% budget decrease for the IRS as punishment for recent events. The recent events that actually call for the reduction are up for speculation, but many things have been putting the IRS in a unwanted spotlight lately. For example, the 4.1 million dollar training conference with exorbitant spending on a motivational speaker and funds used to produce spoof videos, etc. Maybe the IRS’ having targeted the super conservative parties applying for tax exempt status by using republican specific terms as search and locate words could be a factor.

TIGTA recently released a report stating that the IRS is only meeting 7 of the 9 recommendations set forth for improvement last year. The IRS contends that only if funding is available will they be able to meet all 9, as the last two revolve around developing systems and software to improve operations. It shouldn’t have to be said, but if you CUT a budget how do you expect to see further improvement? This is not negative reinforcement, this is retaliation.

The IRS has made strides in improving it’s erroneous payouts through identity verification and credit verification. They’ve place standards on preparers to ensure that the quality of preparation improves resulting is fewer errors and fewer IRS employee hours spent reconciling the errors. Standards which were shot down in court because they didn’t have “statutory authority”  to place such regulations. Rubbish.

You don’t get honey out of a tree by burning it down. You get it by being patient and calmly walking through the bees.