I.R.S. Going Slow Before Election

[onehandle]

The commissioner of internal revenue has ordered his agency to delay collecting back taxes from Hurricane Katrina victims until after the Nov. 7 elections and the holiday season, saying he did so in part to avoid negative publicity.

The commissioner, Mark W. Everson, who has close ties to the White House, said in an interview that postponing collections until after the midterm elections, along with postponing notices to people who failed to file tax returns, was a routine effort to avoid casting the Internal Revenue Service in a bad light.

“We are very sensitive to political perceptions,” Mr. Everson said Wednesday, adding that he regularly discussed with his senior staff members when to take actions and make announcements in light of whether they would annoy a powerful member of Congress or get lost in the flow of news.

The tax agency has broad discretion to change filing deadlines in the case of disasters and has traditionally eased off tax collections before the December holidays.

But four former I.R.S. commissioners, who served under presidents of both parties, said that doing so because of an election was improper and indefensible.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/27/washington/27taxes.html

[intheozone]

1. Hum, is * using the IRS for political purposes????

I recall that was something that Nixon was being charged with in his short-circuited impeachment. Add another charge to the long list of reasons to impeach the chimp!

[kestrel91316]

2. Bush most certainly IS using the IRS against his enemies.

I know some victims.

[stlsaxman]

5. The IRS is outsourcing it's collections program to private companies...

Heard it on the Randi Rhodes Show. Sorry, no link.

But the ratio of tax debt collected to the cost of collection is pretty damned low now. Just think of how inefficient it will br when RW corporations call everyone who owes back-taxes and harasses them. :wow:

[Bozita]

3. Sounds a lot like gas prices ... which have stabilized and turned upward

They're actually about a dime higher than they were about a week ago.

I'd love to see a graph showing IRS collections and gas prices for the last ten years.

I do remember that gas was well under a buck a gallon at election time 2000.

[liberal N proud]

4. The IRS should be doing it's work regardless of the political climate

It has the sole responsibility of collecting and distributing tax monies. Using the branch of the government for political purpose is a sign of how corrupt the regime is.

[Zorra]

6. Using a government agency as a political weapon. This in itself

is a good reason to vote republicans out of office.