The IRS and the Taxpayer"s Right to Freedom of Speech
To some, this might seem an unnecessary mêlée, but this issue matters a lot.
It is quite evident that everyone abhors taxes; still, no one is willing to brand a protester for voicing out opinions against the IRS.
For a decade, the IRS struggled with everyone and anyone opposing its power.
This Goliath struggle became a hot topic in 1998 when the legislators prevented the IRS from tagging certain persons as "illegal tax protestors.
" The IRS was eventually forced to remove the protesters' code of about 57,000 citizens from their database.
Nevertheless, employees under the IRS have not relented in their usage of the label in their case descriptions.
This was long-established in a report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration in a description maladroitly called- "Fiscal Year 2011 Statutory Audit of Compliance with Legal Guidelines Prohibiting the Use of Illegal Tax Protester and Similar Designations.
" The report claims that the continual usage of the term "illegal tax protester" and comparable descriptions can denigrate taxpayers, resulting in IRS employees developing a feeling of prejudice towards them.
It was discovered that in 3.
6million recorded cases, there were 38 occurrences where 34 employees of the IRS had referred to some citizens as "Tax Protesters," "Constitutionally Challenged" or other negative descriptions.
Regardless of the name they are branded, any individual who makes silly tax claims are in for it.
If the IRS deems your comments as being ridiculous, you are fined a 20% accuracy penalty (Internal Revenue Code Section 6662) as well as an excessive 75% civil fraud penalty (Section 6663).
A perky remark about requesting for money back can make a fellow cough out 20% erroneous claim for refund penalty (Section 6676).
Filing a late return with a ridiculous excuse would incur the individual ruthless penalties for deceptive failure to timely file an income tax return, and this can be tripled unto 75% (Section 6651).
However, aside from tax refunds, other errant tax forms can prompt penalization.
A $5,000 fine for errant tax returns (Section 6702) and distinctly fined for posting apparently bland tax forms.
How does a typical individual determine what is frivolous to the IRS? The taxman publishes a list of arguments that can never warrant fines.
Yet, many citizens still manage to fall victim of these blunders.
To stay out of trouble with the IRS, it is crucial that we all watch what we say and be careful with whatever we fill in the numerous tax forms.
It is quite evident that everyone abhors taxes; still, no one is willing to brand a protester for voicing out opinions against the IRS.
For a decade, the IRS struggled with everyone and anyone opposing its power.
This Goliath struggle became a hot topic in 1998 when the legislators prevented the IRS from tagging certain persons as "illegal tax protestors.
" The IRS was eventually forced to remove the protesters' code of about 57,000 citizens from their database.
Nevertheless, employees under the IRS have not relented in their usage of the label in their case descriptions.
This was long-established in a report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration in a description maladroitly called- "Fiscal Year 2011 Statutory Audit of Compliance with Legal Guidelines Prohibiting the Use of Illegal Tax Protester and Similar Designations.
" The report claims that the continual usage of the term "illegal tax protester" and comparable descriptions can denigrate taxpayers, resulting in IRS employees developing a feeling of prejudice towards them.
It was discovered that in 3.
6million recorded cases, there were 38 occurrences where 34 employees of the IRS had referred to some citizens as "Tax Protesters," "Constitutionally Challenged" or other negative descriptions.
Regardless of the name they are branded, any individual who makes silly tax claims are in for it.
If the IRS deems your comments as being ridiculous, you are fined a 20% accuracy penalty (Internal Revenue Code Section 6662) as well as an excessive 75% civil fraud penalty (Section 6663).
A perky remark about requesting for money back can make a fellow cough out 20% erroneous claim for refund penalty (Section 6676).
Filing a late return with a ridiculous excuse would incur the individual ruthless penalties for deceptive failure to timely file an income tax return, and this can be tripled unto 75% (Section 6651).
However, aside from tax refunds, other errant tax forms can prompt penalization.
A $5,000 fine for errant tax returns (Section 6702) and distinctly fined for posting apparently bland tax forms.
How does a typical individual determine what is frivolous to the IRS? The taxman publishes a list of arguments that can never warrant fines.
Yet, many citizens still manage to fall victim of these blunders.
To stay out of trouble with the IRS, it is crucial that we all watch what we say and be careful with whatever we fill in the numerous tax forms.
Source...