In what is the most serious escalation yet of the revelations surrounding the agency, Holder said the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation would examine whether any laws were violated at the IRS, which has acknowledged that it selected groups with the words “tea party” and “patriot” in their names for special audits. “The FBI is coordinating with the Justice Department to see if any laws were broken in connection with those matters,” Holder said in announcing the investigation. “We are examining the facts to see if there were criminal violations.” The criminal probe ensures that the IRS will be the subject of intense attention for the foreseeable future. [WaPo]
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IRS Eases Up on the Tax Liens for the Little People; Celebrities Not So Lucky
Commissioner Doug Shulman said in a statement today that the agency would make it easier for taxpayers to seek withdrawal of liens when they pay a tax debt or make arrangements to pay in installments for debts of less than $25,000. The agency also raised the dollar thresholds before liens are typically filed. “We are making fundamental changes to our lien system and other collection tools that will help taxpayers and give them a fresh start,” Shulman said in the statement. “These steps are good for people facing tough times, and they reflect a responsible approach for the tax system.” [Bloomberg]
The IRS Scheduled a Website Outage on September 15, Can’t Figure Out Why People Hate Them
Whose bright idea was this?? Helping a buddy make his estimated tax payment I see […]
The IRS Claims That Wind Broke This Sign
Dan Zak of the Washington Post posted this photo last night wondering how such a thing could happen – wind or some angry taxpayer who felt it necessary to destroy public property:
If you live in the District, you’re probably familiar with them and DZ illustrates:
They look bland and procedural and definitely of the post-Watergate era. And they look and feel sturdy. Like it would take a hurricane to snap one in half. Winds did reach 65 mph on Feb. 25 in the D.C. area, and the IRS says it has security footage of the ensuing decapitation-by-Mother Nature at the southwest corner of 12th Street and Constitution Avenue NW.
They will not show the footage to us.
Okay, so that’s an obvious non-denial denial. Some pointy-headed engineering types from the Universities of Maryland and Virginia that gusty winds can’t be ruled out but come on. They’ve been there since late 70s? What’s the useful life on one of those bad boys? It’s gotta be 40 years, no? Anyhoo, Zak got the opinion of a tourist from Lubbock, Texas who says it’s definitely vandalism, “Because it’s the IRS. [DUH, *eyeroll*]”