tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25646979.post9096526588368955007..comments2024-01-01T15:35:12.954-07:00Comments on Simple Utah Mormon Politics: Another Reason to Get Rid of the IRSFrank Stahelihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01822334061980912687noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25646979.post-21894791438112439422007-07-31T20:19:00.000-06:002007-07-31T20:19:00.000-06:00True confessions: I spent the first part of my car...True confessions: I spent the first part of my career working for the IRS -- <I>as a tax auditor, no less</I>. Now take a deep breath.<BR/><BR/>Let me first come to the aid of my former employer. This is not all the fault of the IRS. You ought to actually read the tax laws passed by our federal legislators. Heaven knows that few of them do so. This kind of nitpicky crap is often codified in the law. If you wonder how that kind of thing happens, think about lobbyists plus the art of compromise and working a bill through the process.<BR/><BR/>Then there are treasury regulations that are written by unelected bureaucrats that help -- uh -- clarify the Internal Revenue Code. A not insignificant amount of the insidious nitpicking comes from this source. And the lines of accountability of these bureaucrats to the citizen voters and their elected representatives is fuzzy at best.<BR/><BR/>The IRS takes all of these multituninous pages of legalese and works with a force of people (mainly GS-9 level or below) to implement these laws and regs. Each of these people is indoctrinated and steeped in the culture of the bureaucracy. The truly amazing thing is that IRS does its job as well it they does.<BR/><BR/>Our tax system stinks. IRS is the face of our tax system, and they certainly do their share to make life difficult for taxpayers. But let's not forget the guys up the line that are the real sources of IRS hubris: Senators, Congressional Representatives, and administration bureaucrats.Scott Hinrichshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11831447472339880148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25646979.post-46932947031064419862007-07-31T13:42:00.000-06:002007-07-31T13:42:00.000-06:00When you say "I am shocked that your cellular prov...When you say "I am shocked that your cellular provider is involved," do you mean you are shocked that I have to declare my personal cell phone minutes as income?Frank Stahelihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01822334061980912687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25646979.post-76721397161041714532007-07-31T11:12:00.000-06:002007-07-31T11:12:00.000-06:00I'm on Bluff if you ever need any help.I'm on Bluff if you ever need any help.pramahaphilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05852898493878493736noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25646979.post-23637380769614662822007-07-31T11:10:00.000-06:002007-07-31T11:10:00.000-06:00Welcome to my world. I get to inform people of stu...Welcome to my world. I get to inform people of stuff like this on a regular basis.<BR/><BR/>I am shocked that your celluar provider is involved. I haven't seen that happen before.pramahaphilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05852898493878493736noreply@blogger.com