The Democrats' so-called "Inflation Reduction Act," which actually spends billions on climate change agenda points but does little to nothing to cut inflation, did include a provision of billions of dollars for the IRS to hire another 87,000 agents, who are expected to audit low- and middle-income families and businesses.
But first, the service's own workers will be under review.
That's according to Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, who asked for an audit of Internal Revenue Service employees.
The agency's inspector general agreed, and confirmed plans are under way.
The Washington Times explained, "The investigation comes as the IRS prepares to staff up with potentially tens of thousands of new employees, many of them tasked with expanding the agency’s scope of audits."
Ernst said, in prepared remarks, "Before [President] Biden’s army of auditors starts harassing innocent taxpayers, let’s first make sure the tax collectors have paid their own taxes."
The report explained it was in an email from J. Russell George, the Treasury inspector general for tax administration, to Ernst that confirmed he would do the audit.
George said he will look at current IRS employees "who are not fully complaint" with their taxes, and will look at employees the IRS has rehired despite previous tax problems, the report explained.
Back in 2017, he actually had already identified 1,250 IRS staff members who failed to pay their full taxes that year.
The Times reported, "Perhaps a worse offense, at a time when the IRS is about to embark on a hiring spree, is the agency’s penchant for bringing back employees despite past tax or behavior problems. A 2017 report by Mr. George found that 10% of former employees rehired by the IRS during a 15-month period under President Barack Obama had been fired or let go while under investigation for 'a substantial conduct or performance issue.'"
The Iowa senator pointed out, "Folks, we have a real problem if the IRS staff who enforce the tax law aren’t paying their own taxes and can’t even understand how to properly fill out their own tax forms."
The Inflation Act allows about $80 billion for the agency, and Democrats claim the new workers will audit "higher-income cheats."
The Times noted, however, "GOP lawmakers doubt those assurances, pointing to one IRS estimate that said the cash could hire about 87,000 new employees. It’s impossible to leash them so they only go after wealthy cheats, the Republicans argue."
Just the News reported the IRS already had created a controversy for Americans by advertising for new employees who would carry weapons and be "willing to use deadly force, if necessary."
via wnd