A recent report from the Treasury inspector general for tax administration found that from Oct. 2010 to Dec. 2012, more than $2.8 million in bonuses was paid by the Internal Revenue Service to employees who either had a disciplinary record or owed back taxes. $1 million of that amount was paid to the latter group, calling into question the integrity of the IRS. However, it should be noted that the IRS’s ways are not illegal or against its own protocol — they are simply confounding and stupefying.
The report went on to say that 2,800 workers were given these bonuses and that 1,150 of them owed back taxes. Whether this was done intentionally or as part of some clerical process that simply wasn’t properly vetted is unclear, but it seems to be the latter.
And that can be the problem with the IRS. In many cases, their processes are automated which means that seemingly little nuance or thought is put into the action they take against a taxpayer. The agency has so many taxpayers to cover and so few employees to allow them do their job adequately that this is the reality we are left with.
While that is unfortunate, it makes it all the more important for a taxpayer to know his or her tax situation — and to know that if the IRS comes knocking at the door, there are appeals and actions they can take to properly remedy the situation. If you have a serious tax situation that needs to be addressed, you should consult an experienced tax attorney.
Source: New York Times, “I.R.S. Gave Bonuses to Workers Owing Back Taxes,” Associated Press, April 22, 2014
