The IRS Scandal, Day 707

Wall Street Journal, House Passes Package of Bills Aimed at Curbing IRS Abuses:

The House on Wednesday passed a package of bills aimed at preventing future abuses at the Internal Revenue Service, in the wake of a series of controversies at the agency.

The bills, which were largely noncontroversial, passed the House on voice votes, with support from some Democrats.

Despite the bipartisan agreement on Wednesday, the bills’ future in the Senate remains somewhat unclear, as there is ongoing partisan rancor over the IRS.

Republicans have been harshly critical of the IRS, particularly after an inspector general’s report in 2013 said agency officials had targeted dozens of tea party-type groups for intrusive scrutiny as they sought tax-exempt status, starting in 2010. That controversy in turn led to a series of other scandals, for example over how and why the agency had mishandled some confidential taxpayer information. ...

Democrats have acknowledged problems with some of the agency’s processes. But they have generally blamed bureaucratic incompetence, saying the agency wasn't motivated by political bias. ...

The bills passed on Wednesday were mostly narrow in focus. One would streamline the application process for nonprofit social-welfare groups seeking to become tax-exempt, effectively eliminating the IRS’s ability to hold up their applications indefinitely.

Another would make it a firing offense for an IRS official to target taxpayers for their political beliefs. Still another would clarify that gift taxes don’t apply to donations to social-welfare groups organized under section 501(c)(4). 

• Cleveland Plain Dealer, House Marks Tax Day by Passing Rep. Jim Renacci's Bill to Fight IRS Political Targeting
• The Hill, House Passes Bills Aimed at the IRS

• The IRS Scandal, Day 706 (Apr. 15, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 705 (Apr. 14, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 704 (Apr. 13, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 703 (Apr. 12, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 702 (Apr. 11, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Day 701 (Apr. 10, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 601-700 (Dec. 31, 2014 - April 9, 2015)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 501-600 (Sept. 22, 2014-Dec. 30, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 401-500 (June 14, 2014 - Sept. 21,2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 301-400 (Mar. 6, 2014 - June 13, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 201-300 (Nov. 26, 2013 - Mar. 5, 2014)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 101-200 (Aug. 18, 2013 - Nov. 25, 2013)
• The IRS Scandal, Days 1-100 (May 10, 2013 - Aug. 17, 2013)