Thursday, November 3, 2016
The IRS Scandal, Day 1274: Koskinen Says It Is Time To 'Move Beyond' The Scandal And Restore The IRS's Budget
Bloomberg BNA, We Can’t Afford’ More IRS Budget Cuts, Koskinen Proclaims:
IRS Commissioner John Koskinen is fired up about what he sees as crippling budget reductions, and he isn’t being shy about showing it.
Koskinen spent nearly 10 minutes today laying out the massive risks of future budget cuts to the agency, and describing his plan to remind members of Congress during future appropriations processes just what could happen if the IRS doesn’t receive an injection of funds. Agency funding is down $900 million since 2010. ...
Members of Congress—who will likely tackle a massive, year-end funding package in December—need to understand that a starving IRS can’t provide the government with the money it needs to function, Koskinen said. The agency is down 5,000 revenue agents and criminal investigators from six years ago, he said, and it can give back anywhere from four to 10 times the amount of money it’s given in terms of additional revenues.
Koskinen also had strong words for the members of Congress who are continuing to punish the agency for the years-old scandal involving scrutiny of groups applying for tax exemptions. Fury from some Republican lawmakers has continued since. Several members of the hard-right House Freedom Caucus say Koskinen, who wasn’t at the IRS at the time, deserves to be impeached over the matter, and they almost succeeded in bringing the issue to a House floor vote earlier this fall.
“My hope is at some point we can move beyond some of the problems of the past. The whole c4 issue and the IG’s report was three and a half years ago, and my hope is over time we’ll be able to convince people that we’ve taken all the recommendations anyone has made in the investigative area, and from the Senate Finance Committee, and we are committed to ensuring the mistakes never happen again. They shouldn’t have happened, I think it was a bad mistake, and it unfairly treated a whole set of organizations that got put up in long delays,” he said.
“My hope is as we move beyond that we can then have a more direct discussion about the resource needs of the agency.”
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1273: Harry Reid And James Comey (Nov. 2, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1272: Why The IRS Scandal Still Matters To Republicans And Democrats (Nov. 1, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1271: President Obama Lied About The IRS’s Targeting Of Conservatives (Oct. 31, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1270: Why The IRS Matters This Election (Oct. 30, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1269: The Dark Art Of Political Intimidation (Oct. 29, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1268: Sen. Whitehouse — Republicans Are Using Koskinen Impeachment To Bring IRS To Heel On Dark Money Campaign Financing (Oct. 28, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1267: Court Orders IRS to Give Account For Targeting Conservatives (Oct. 27, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1266: Obama Denies Any ‘Major Scandals’ In His Administration — What About The IRS Scandal? (Oct. 26, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1265: Treasury & IRS CIOs Receive IT Leadership Awards (Oct. 25, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1264: Light Meet Tunnel (Oct. 24, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1263: The Denial Of Probe Into IRS Disclosure Of Taxpayer Information Is ‘Alarming’ (Oct. 23, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1262: Z Street Receives 501(c)(3) Tax-Exempt Status, Seven Years After Filing Application (Oct. 22, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1261: George Will And Donald Trump Are Wrong — Elections Are Not Rigged, And The IRS Is Not Rigging Them (Oct. 21, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1260: Cleta Mitchell — Use Of The IRS Against Republican Critics Likely Will Persist In A Clinton Administration (Oct. 20, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1259: George Will — Trump Is Right That Elections Are Rigged, And The IRS Is Exhibit A (Oct. 19, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1258: Judge Orders IRS to Clear Tea Party Application Backlog Within Month (Oct. 18, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1257 (Oct. 17, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1256: The IRS Spent $12 Million For Microsoft Cloud-Based Email Archive That Was Incompatible With Its On-Premises Email System And Never Used (Oct. 16, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1255 (Oct. 15, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1254 (Oct. 14, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1253 (Oct. 13, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1252 (Oct. 12, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1251: Bill O'Reilly Calls For A Special Prosecutor (Oct. 11, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1250 (Oct. 10, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1249 (Oct. 9, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1248 (Oct. 8, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1247 (Oct. 7, 2017)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1246 (Oct. 6, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1245 (Oct. 5, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1244 (Oct. 4, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1243 (Oct. 3, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1242 (Oct. 2, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1241 (Oct. 1, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1240 (Sept. 30, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1239 (Sept. 29, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1238 (Sept. 28, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1237 (Sept. 27, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1236 (Sept. 26, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1235 (Sept. 25, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1234 (Sept. 24, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1233 (Sept. 23, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1232 (Sept. 22, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1231 (Sept. 21, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1230 (Sept. 20, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1229 (Sept. 19, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1228 (Sept. 18, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1227 (Sept. 17, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1226 (Sept. 16, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1225 (Sept. 15, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1224 (Sept. 14, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1223 (Sept. 13, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1222 (Sept. 12, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1221 (Sept. 11, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1220 (Sept. 10, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1219 (Sept. 9, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1218 (Sept. 8, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1217 (Sept. 7, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1216 (Sept. 6, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1215 (Sept. 5, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1214 (Sept. 4, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1213 (Sept. 3, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1212 (Sept. 2, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1211 (Sept. 1, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1210 (Aug. 31, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1209 (Aug. 30, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1208 (Aug. 29, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1207 (Aug. 28, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1206 (Aug. 27, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1205 (Aug. 26, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1204 (Aug. 25, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1203 (Aug. 24, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1202 (Aug. 23, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Day 1201 (Aug. 22, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Days 1101-1200 (May 14, 2016 - Aug. 21, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Days 1001-1100 (Feb. 4, 2016 - May 13, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Days 901-1000 (Oct. 27, 2015 - Feb. 3, 2016)
- The IRS Scandal, Days 801-900 (July 19, 2015 - Oct. 26, 2015)
- The IRS Scandal, Days 701-800 (April 10, 2015 - July 18, 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, 201
https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2016/11/the-irs-scandal-day-1274-koskinen-says-it-is-time-to-move-beyond-the-scandal-and-restore-the-irss-bu.html
Comments
Pubs,
Did I make a comment? That wasn't your first senior moment around here.
I personally don't believe the IRS should be abolished, just decreased in size and influence and returns to focusing on its core responsibility: collecting tax revenue and shrinking the tax gap.
Koskinen failed to mention the numerous wasteful IRS expenditures, which I've cited in previous discussions, and how he'd eliminate them. I have zero sympathy for a bureaucratic agency that wastes millions in taxpayer dollars while its budget is dropping, and then spends scarce resources engaging in unconstitutional political viewpoint discrimination against the minority party, and then pleading poverty and playing the victim...
Posted by: MM | Nov 3, 2016 7:48:52 PM
Those of us who were denied a voice before the election will think it time to move on when fines and punishment are meted out. Perhaps the missing revenue officer positions can be filled by the agents who were deciding who gets to be heard before our election.
Posted by: Oliver Shank | Nov 3, 2016 11:52:42 AM
The IRS is STILL slow-walking 501(c) applications from conservative groups. Why should the rest of us "move on" when they haven't?
That man needs to be impeached even if he only has 1 day left in office.
Posted by: mhjhnsn | Nov 3, 2016 11:01:20 AM
The agency is down 5,000 revenue agents and criminal investigators from six years ago
The Democrat's attack dogs still have jobs though.
Posted by: wodun | Nov 3, 2016 10:53:20 AM
I'm sure Bill Clinton wishes Juanita Broaddrick would move beyond her rape accusation too. However, truth must precede reconciliation.
Because Lois Lerner's emails were deleted and because she refuses to testify we don't have the truth yet. The truth will set the IRS free.
Posted by: AMTbuff | Nov 3, 2016 8:35:37 AM
It's my understanding that the persecution continues, also, no one was prosecuted. What congress should do is shut them down entirely and install some type of flat tax. Get rid of them!
Posted by: isolden | Nov 3, 2016 8:27:53 AM
Cutting the IRS's budget is asinine, but even more asinine is the administration's failure to punish those responsible.
Posted by: guy helvering | Nov 3, 2016 8:02:47 AM
Cutting the IRS budget is a little like biting off the hand that feeds. What does need to happen is better oversight of where the money is spent, oversight that should come from the top. However, when the top is making sure all funds are diverted to implement the ACA at all costs (computer system upgrades, revenue agents be dammed). The trenches don't see any end in sight. Without naming names we all know who the top is... Lois Lerner and her gang were all pawns doing what the word from the top told them to do. Very sad to watch our government at work.
Posted by: dsocpa | Nov 4, 2016 6:46:23 AM