ProPublica’s Kiel Suggests Tea Party Republicans to Blame for IRS Disproportionately Auditing Poor People

TUR Tax season is ░░░░░░░░ as millions of Americans ░░░░░░░░ to file their returns ░░░░░░░░ Internal Revenue Service the ░░░░░░░░ is underfunded very underfunded ░░░░░░░░ of budget cuts have ░░░░░░░░ the IRS all but ░░░░░░░░ according to testimony heard ░░░░░░░░ front of the House ░░░░░░░░ and Means Committee last ░░░░░░░░ Those cuts have had ░░░░░░░░ consequences fewer audits overall ░░░░░░░░ especially for those with ░░░░░░░░ most money The largest ░░░░░░░░ S corporations as well ░░░░░░░░ the millionaires and billionaires ░░░░░░░░ now being audited as ░░░░░░░░ same rate as the ░░░░░░░░ poor simply because it ░░░░░░░░ just easier to audit ░░░░░░░░ poor Joining me the ░░░░░░░░ reporter who has covered ░░░░░░░░ topic extensively Paul Kiel ░░░░░░░░ you have two very ░░░░░░░░ articles right now one ░░░░░░░░ titled IRS Sorry But ░░░░░░░░ s Just Easier and ░░░░░░░░ to Audit the Poor ░░░░░░░░ the other one is ░░░░░░░░ Facebook Who Is Afraid ░░░░░░░░ the IRS Not Facebook ░░░░░░░░ s start with easier ░░░░░░░░ cheaper to audit the ░░░░░░░░ The IRS says that ░░░░░░░░ isn t something they ░░░░░░░░ to do but when ░░░░░░░░ look at auditing folks ░░░░░░░░ use the earned income ░░░░░░░░ you re talking about ░░░░░░░░ mailing something out But ░░░░░░░░ you re looking add ░░░░░░░░ corporations or the very ░░░░░░░░ you have to hire ░░░░░░░░ on the budget cuts ░░░░░░░░ have befallen the IRS ░░░░░░░░ the years have made ░░░░░░░░ very difficult to hire ░░░░░░░░ people needed to go ░░░░░░░░ all that paperwork and ░░░░░░░░ do that work KIEL ░░░░░░░░ s right There s ░░░░░░░░ a lot of attrition ░░░░░░░░ have lost thousands of ░░░░░░░░ So when you talk ░░░░░░░░ auditing the rich you ░░░░░░░░ a wealthy person who ░░░░░░░░ their own business you ░░░░░░░░ an intelligent investigator to ░░░░░░░░ doing that audit And ░░░░░░░░ are the sorts of ░░░░░░░░ that have been leaving ░░░░░░░░ droves and they haven ░░░░░░░░ been hiring enough people ░░░░░░░░ keep up with that ░░░░░░░░ On the flipside these ░░░░░░░░ for people who have ░░░░░░░░ the earned income credit ░░░░░░░░ s something where there ░░░░░░░░ is a computer that ░░░░░░░░ going through returns that ░░░░░░░░ in you know a ░░░░░░░░ is spit out and ░░░░░░░░ it s sent to ░░░░░░░░ person The letter essential ░░░░░░░░ you know You said ░░░░░░░░ person was your child ░░░░░░░░ lived with you for ░░░░░░░░ year Prove it You ░░░░░░░░ you have to show ░░░░░░░░ this child lived with ░░░░░░░░ for the tax year ░░░░░░░░ question which can lead ░░░░░░░░ a sort of scramble ░░░░░░░░ find something on paper ░░░░░░░░ said you know for ░░░░░░░░ your 2 year old ░░░░░░░░ at your address over ░░░░░░░░ months of the year ░░░░░░░░ it s the sort ░░░░░░░░ audit that is very ░░░░░░░░ for the people who ░░░░░░░░ audited to deal with ░░░░░░░░ for the IRS the ░░░░░░░░ amount of human interaction ░░░░░░░░ those audits is pretty ░░░░░░░░ It s just a ░░░░░░░░ of signing off on ░░░░░░░░ that s spit out ░░░░░░░░ the machine TUR So ░░░░░░░░ IRS economist and researcher ░░░░░░░░ that they predominantly affect ░░░░░░░░ counties that are predominantly ░░░░░░░░ American Why has the ░░░░░░░░ had its budget cut ░░░░░░░░ much KIEL Great question ░░░░░░░░ started in 2010 you ░░░░░░░░ the House wave election ░░░░░░░░ Tea Party election They ░░░░░░░░ in they start trying ░░░░░░░░ cut across the government ░░░░░░░░ IRS was part of ░░░░░░░░ Then what happened is ░░░░░░░░ know you may learn ░░░░░░░░ Lois Lerner scandal the ░░░░░░░░ over how the IRS ░░░░░░░░ auditing political nonprofits That ░░░░░░░░ a real focal point ░░░░░░░░ House Republicans and a ░░░░░░░░ for them to keep ░░░░░░░░ stranglehold on the budget ░░░░░░░░ was another big cut ░░░░░░░░ 2015 it s something ░░░░░░░░ on the Republican side ░░░░░░░░ the aisle is not ░░░░░░░░ popular idea giving the ░░░░░░░░ more resources primarily because ░░░░░░░░ that scandal but also ░░░░░░░░ this is a Republican ░░░░░░░░ point that goes back ░░░░░░░░ you know of not ░░░░░░░░ the IRS sometimes in ░░░░░░░░ of presidential campaigns Like ░░░░░░░░ Cruz had a line ░░░░░░░░ abolishing the IRS So ░░░░░░░░ we have this funny ░░░░░░░░ where actually recently President ░░░░░░░░ s budget for 2021 ░░░░░░░░ pumping more money into ░░░░░░░░ IRS because if you ░░░░░░░░ looking around the government ░░░░░░░░ ways to bring in ░░░░░░░░ revenue there s very ░░░░░░░░ in the government where ░░░░░░░░ can be confident that ░░░░░░░░ you put in a ░░░░░░░░ you ll get back ░░░░░░░░ or 5 IRS is ░░░░░░░░ agency So actually in ░░░░░░░░ Trump s budget he ░░░░░░░░ putting in several billion ░░░░░░░░ over the next years ░░░░░░░░ would bring in tens ░░░░░░░░ billions more but still ░░░░░░░░ have Senate Republicans essentially ░░░░░░░░ the ones who are ░░░░░░░░ to give more money ░░░░░░░░ the IRS TUR Paul ░░░░░░░░ want you to come ░░░░░░░░ again to talk about ░░░░░░░░ We ran out of ░░░░░░░░ 8 tax rate I ░░░░░░░░ t know anybody who ░░░░░░░░ an 8 tax rate ░░░░░░░░ thank you so much.”