Management
The IRS Now Audits Poor Americans at About the Same Rate as the Top 1%
As the agency’s ability to audit the rich crumbles, its scrutiny of the poor has held steady in recent years. Meanwhile, a new study shows that audits of poor taxpayers make them far less likely to claim credits they might be entitled to.
Management
TurboTax Uses a 'Military Discount" to Trick Troops Into Paying to File Their Taxes
Intuit, the maker of TurboTax, created and promoted a “military discount” that charges service members who are eligible to file for free.
Management
Agencies Agree to Do More to Identify Contractors With Tax Debts
GAO tells contracting officers to keep a closer eye, and IRS and GSA agree.
Management
IRS Is Advised to Get Its Financial House in Order
GAO updates its long-standing critique of internal auditing deficiencies.
Management
Senior IRS Leaders Launch Review of Agency’s Partnership With TurboTax and H&R Block
Both the IRS and its inspector general are investigating the partnership with the tax software industry in response to ProPublica’s reporting.
Pay & Benefits
IRS Doesn't Fire Its Tax-Delinquent Employees as the Law Requires
Agency managers follow through on the requirement in only 7% of cases.
Management
How the IRS Gave Up Fighting Political Dark Money Groups
Six years after it was excoriated for allegedly targeting conservative organizations, the agency has largely given up on regulating an entire category of nonprofits. The result: More dark money gushes into the political system.
Management
The IRS Could Do a First Draft Of Your Tax Return For You
The IRS already has all the info it needs from 40% of filers, yet lobbying by tax preparers is stymieing efforts to make the filing process simpler.
Management
Lawmakers Confronted the IRS Over Tax Audits That Target the Poor
Following up on ProPublica stories about the IRS, lawmakers pressed the commissioner on the agency’s disproportionate focus on auditing the working poor while examinations of the rich plummeted.
Management
Bill to Limit IRS’ Ability to Offer Free Tax Filing Service Is Getting New Scrutiny
The attention comes after ProPublica reported on the provision.
Management
IRS and Private Partners Tout Success in Combating Identity Theft
Numbers of reported taxpayer victims fell 71 percent from 2015 to 2018.
Oversight
Congress Is About to Ban the Government From Offering Free Online Tax Filing. Thank TurboTax.
A bill supported by Democrats and Republicans would make permanent a program that bars the IRS from ever developing its own online tax filing service.
Management
Alabama Senator to the IRS: Stop Picking on the South
Why are the rural poor audited more frequently than other groups, he asks, citing ProPublica. Another Democratic senator adds, “There are two tax codes in America, and there are also two enforcement regimes.”
Pay
IRS targeted for cuts
The House Appropriations Committee this week released a fiscal 2015 appropriations bill that slashes funding for the Internal Revenue Service.
Pay
Tax-delinquent IRS employees received cash awards
An audit of an Internal Revenue Service awards program revealed that more than 1,100 IRS employees with federal tax compliance problems received in excess of $1 million in cash awards, as well as more than 10,000 hours in time-off awards.
Employee Policy
GAO says budget cuts affect IRS performance
A Government Accountability Office performance audit of the IRS shows that budget cuts have had a negative impact on the agency's operations.
Financial Planning