Tax cheats: The 11% who don't fear the IRS
These respondents told the agency as much to its face, but budget cuts and public distrust of its enforcement tactics won't make it easy to stop them.
Thinking about cheating on your taxes but just waiting for some sort of sign that it'll work out. Well, 11% of your neighbors say go for it.
The Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board released the results of its telephone poll on Tuesday and discovered -- as it has for several years running -- that roughly 90% of Americans plan to play it by the book this tax season.
These are the kind of folks who'll spackle and paint over every hole in the wall before moving, bring a fistful of singles to a bed and breakfast just in case it has an honor bar for snacks and count every item in their shopping cart before selecting a checkout lane. They're the "cross on the green, not in between" folks.
Then there's the other 11% -- who openly plan to cheat "a little here and a little there" or "as much as possible," according to the survey. These are the folks who ride helmetless on motorcycles or fly in small planes even though they know what happened to Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper. The risk-takers.
While it's still somewhat surprising that any of the 1,500 people surveyed voluntarily tell the IRS that they plan to cheat, general disdain for the tax man's seemingly arbitrary enforcement habits isn't a new development. While 43% of those surveyed said they think the IRS maintains a proper balance between enforcement and taxpayer service, 30% said the agency devotes too many resources to enforcement.
The IRS claims it audits only 1% of all returns. Last year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted that budget and staff cuts at the IRS would mean fewer audits. This year, Business Insider cited TurboTax while claiming that people making more than $1 million were eight times more likely to be audited than anyone else. And Accounting Today notes that whistleblowers are far less likely to help the IRS find audit targets than they've been in the past.
IRS cutbacks mean less customer-service help for those on the straight-and-narrow, and fewer audits mean potentially less tax revenue for everyone. Both also mean folks in the IRS phone survey have little to fear in telling it like it is.
They're the 11%. They're cutting corners, and they're just daring the understaffed, underfunded IRS to do something about it.
Do you notice about 70% of posters are extreme right wingers?The Democrats
are too busy raising their kids and working to post.Fortunatly, you have limo
Pat who can work 60 hours a week and still has time to be patriotic enough
to support our President and try to stop the Fox news lies here.Thank me,
I voted for Obama, like a true patriot.
You guys are retards. So here's the deal. MOST illegals work with what is called a TIN number. With that TIN number they file taxes. The government knows they are here and illegal but turn a bling eye...why? because they are all paying social security with the TIN number and they will NEVER be able to draw any from the system. I know...my bud employs 80 mexicans in his landscaping business and that is how he pays them. No TIN number...no job! So maybe the government figured out a way to save social security after all...
cheat all you can the illegals are doin it for years no taxes, they drive nice cars and buy homes with cash what america its illegal america , born and raised here i never got one break on taxes but i can come here from mexico and break the law and pay no taxes but thats ok mr obama says id like to move to another country and do that but id be put in jail for breakin the law and throw the key away
TAXPAYER 1:Where do you get your crazy ideas.Most blue collar workers are
Democrats.What are they going to deduct their lunch boxes?I `ve done blue
collar and now I own a limo business.Yes, I make more money and pay more
taxes, but I make 10 times more.I have a lot more write offs and deductions.My
clerical workers pay hirer rates.No, I don`t cheat on anything.Your ideas are
just right wing lies.
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