Don't Audit the Rich

Doug · Post by **Doug** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:15 am

Feds Eliminate 157 Auditors of Rich Taxpayers, By David Cay Johnston, The New York Times, 23 July 2006

The federal government is moving to eliminate the jobs of nearly half of the lawyers at the Internal Revenue Service who audit tax returns of some of the wealthiest Americans, specifically those who are subject to gift and estate taxes when they transfer parts of their fortunes to their children and others.

The administration plans to cut the jobs of 157 of the agency's 345 estate tax lawyers, plus 17 support personnel, in less than 70 days. Kevin Brown, an IRS deputy commissioner, confirmed the cuts after the New York Times was given internal documents by people inside the IRS who oppose them.

Read the rest here.

Barbara Fitzpatrick · Post by **Barbara Fitzpatrick** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:35 am

And they will point proudly to having "streamlined" the IRS - and, since they fondly expect to get the Paris Hilton Tax repealed, they will point out they won't need estate tax lawyers, since there won't be an estate tax.