White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Tuesday that none of the 87,000 new IRS agents would be auditing people who make under $400,000 a year — which is like 99 percent of taxpayers. So don’t let the GOP scare you into thinking you’re going to be audited.
The Washington Post has gone so far as to write an opinion piece explaining why the IRS needs $80 billion more. Just look at the cafeteria — there’s, like, paperwork stacked everywhere.
Why does the IRS need $80 billion? Just look at its cafeteria. https://t.co/gMa6lf1k6P
— Glenn Kessler (@GlennKesslerWP) August 9, 2022
The Washington Post reports:
Taxpayers are trapped in this time warp because Congress has systemically underinvested in the IRS. Its funding was cut for most of
the past decade, despite the agency receiving evermore responsibilities: stimulus checks, child tax credit payments, Obamacare enforcement, foreign bank account tracking and, lately, hunting down Russian yachts. Without reliable, long-term funding guarantees, the IRS has struggled to upgrade its systems.I recently took a (chaperoned) tour of the Pipeline, which is usually off-limits to journalists. Imagine Willy Wonka’s secretive chocolate
factory, but instead of gumdrops and lollipops it’s … paper. Everywhere, paper.…
… it’s astonishing that the system has survived this long, since it seems to be held together with duct tape and string. When I mentioned this to Desselle, the mailroom manager, he corrected me.
“That’s too generous,” he said. “It’s more like Scotch tape and string.”
If only there were some way to streamline the process without spending $80 billion additional dollars.
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This would all go away if we abolished the current tax code and made doing one’s taxes as easy as filling out a post card.
— Ultra Journalist (Ret) – JOURN-L of Skrypton (@Magnum_CK) August 9, 2022
Let’s do that.
Maybe a 70,000 page tax code gums up that antiquated system a bit
— Jim W (@plotpointradio) August 9, 2022
Won't someone please think of the IRS lunchroom.
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) August 9, 2022
$12.6 billion annually. Maybe this is more about government mismanagement of allocated funds.
— 🇺🇸Night "Not A Taco” Wood ✞⚭⚓ (@Shteina_Gott) August 9, 2022
If you think Americans believe $80 BILLION & 87,000 NEW IRS agents means they’ll start doing the “cafeteria paperwork” & not CONTINUE to come after the middle/lower class, I have a bridge to sell you….
— SeldenGADawgs (@SeldenGADawgs) August 9, 2022
Sounds like a management problem, not a dollar problem!
— Clint Williams (@clint1w) August 9, 2022
Is anybody in charge of modernization? Where is the great modernization plan that is just waiting for funding? Can any of the $80 billion be used for that? 🧐
— Gary Schulz (@OldRailer) August 9, 2022
It's safe to ask this question now
— The Streeter (@thestreeter) August 9, 2022
Crazy idea here but has anyone considered simplifying the tax code instead? Oh right, can't pass out favors that way.
— EZ (@notmyrlnmnemore) August 9, 2022
Dems/media groveling for the IRS isn’t going to help in midterms (or after)
Not good.
— AstrO (@Mi_Astronauta) August 9, 2022
In Estonia, the annual income tax declaration is pre-filled by the tax board, based on online information. All I have to do is log in (using an app on my phone, for example), review it, correct where necessary and submit. Usually takes about 5 minutes.
As you were, cavemen. 😎
— Kristjan Korsten (@KorstenKristjan) August 9, 2022
After that raid last night (not to mention prior IRS history)–a lot of people are pretty convinced the IRS will definitely be used to target the democrats' political enemies.
And they have good reason to believe that.
— mallen2010 (@mallen_2010) August 9, 2022
Seems strange that the IRS is set to hire >80,000 people when the big issue identified by @washingtonpost is the "antiquated system."
— Stuart Stein (@SsteinStuart) August 9, 2022
Except the last time I looked at that portion of the bill, the 87k people were specifically designated for enforcement. Unless they changed it, enforcement staff will not be assisting with processing mail and answering phones.
— NDencodarlin (@dencodarlin01) August 9, 2022
So, you're saying they're archaic and inefficient?
— BobDog the Great (@bdzot) August 9, 2022
Does that regime water ever get too heavy to carry?
— I know an A-hole when I see it but I'm… (@NoProctologist) August 9, 2022
That's not the argument you think it is.
— jack (@axre91a) August 9, 2022
We’re seriously supposed to feel bad for the IRS because it has so much paperwork? That’s the angle they’re going with here?
Related:
Hot tax tip: If you’re concerned 80,000 new IRS agents will go after the ‘little guy’ just don’t cheat on your taxes https://t.co/lwPDE0GVCn
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 6, 2022
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