Great Moments in Bureaucratic Competence: IRS Often Doles Out Home Energy Tax Credit To People Without Said Home

Makes ya feel good, doesn't it?

Can the Internal Revenue Service handle tax credit programs that pump out billions of dollars to homeowners and buyers? A new federal investigation on home energy tax credits suggests the answer may be: Not quite yet.

The Treasury Department's inspector general for tax administration audited the residential tax credit program, created by Congress to encourage homeowners to install energy-saving equipment and materials in their houses, and found some disturbing oversights.

One part of the program offers 30% credits — with no dollar limit — for solar energy systems, geothermal heat pumps, wind turbines and fuel cells installed before Dec. 31, 2016. A second part of the program — for energy-efficiency home improvements — offered credits up to $1,500 for qualifying exterior windows and doors, insulation and roofing materials.

Both credits have been popular. More than 6.8 million taxpayers received credits during tax year 2009, totaling $5.8 billion through December 2010. But substantial numbers of the filings had problems that went undetected by the IRS, according to the inspector general's investigation. In a review of 5 million returns, auditors found that more than 302,000 taxpayers, who received a total of $234 million in credits from the IRS, showed no evidence of owning a home — the minimum requirement for eligibility.

A review of a smaller sample of returns, supplemented with local real estate property deed information, found that 30% "had no record of owning a home."

I propose we punish the IRS with a one-year, unpaid hiatus.

h/t: Ben Cunningham.

Cross-posted.

'They Were Deadly Serious, Very Aggressive, Very Condescending'

Where's your four cents, bitch?

Welcome to Barack Obama's America, where every nickel counts. Or when adjusted for inflation, four cents.

It was every businessperson's nightmare.

Arriving at Harv's Metro Car Wash in midtown Wednesday afternoon were two dark-suited IRS agents demanding payment of delinquent taxes. "They were deadly serious, very aggressive, very condescending," says Harv's owner, Aaron Zeff.

The really odd part of this: The letter that was hand-delivered to Zeff's on-site manager showed the amount of money owed to the feds was ... 4 cents.

Inexplicably, penalties and taxes accruing on the debt – stemming from the 2006 tax year – were listed as $202.31, leaving Harv's with an obligation of $202.35.

Zeff, who also owns local parking lots and is the president of the Midtown Business Association, finds the situation a bit comical.

"It's hilarious," he says, "that two people hopped in a car and came down here for just 4 cents. I think (the IRS) may have a problem with priorities."

Now he's trying to figure out how penalties and interest could climb so high on such a small debt. He says he's never been told he owes any taxes or that he's ever incurred any late-payment penalties in the four years he's owned Harv's.

In fact, he provided us with an Oct. 22, 2009, letter from the IRS that states Harv's "has filed all required returns and addressed any balances due."

Wait until Mr. Zeff realizes how much Obama's free healthcare in going to cost him.

Hot Air links. Thanks!

Lurch Now Qualified for Obama Cabinet Position

Where is Mama T and all her ketchup riches when you need them? What, did she kick this deadbeat out of the mansion? Well, the bad news is the failed 2004 presidential candidate, who reportedly served 14 weeks in 'Nam, owes the IRS 800 large.

The good news? He's cabinet material, baby!

The Internal Revenue Service has filed a tax lien seeking more than $800,000 from Sen. John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign, escalating a dispute over payroll taxes that the lawmaker's office blames on faulty government paperwork.

The episode has left a candidate who fell just a few percentage points short of winning the White House trying to convince the government's tax collector that his campaign already paid the taxes and doesn't owe any more.

The IRS filed the lien in the District of Columbia earlier this year, claiming that a previous attempt to collect the money was unsuccessful. "We have made a demand for payment of this liability, but it remains unpaid," the tax filing stated.

The IRS is taking action more than a year after the campaign closed its books and sent nearly $200,000 in leftover presidential campaign money to Mr. Kerry's Senate election fund.

Most deadbeats like this would be hauled into court and then shipped off to a federal penitentiary. But Lurch is one of the beautiful people, so he's above the law.

Besides, he claims there's an error.

Sure.

"The IRS merely has a gap in their electronic records of the 2004 campaign's payroll forms," Kerry spokeswoman Whitney Smith said of the lien. "We filed these forms correctly, and we're working with the IRS to provide them any and all needed information to set the record straight.

"There's no there there; nothing to see here so move along folks, end of story," she said.

I don't think so.

HT loppyd.

Dude, Where's My Tax Cut?

Don't go spending that windfall of $13 a week just yet, especially if you haven't read the fine print on your gubmint warranty.

Smoke, meet mirror.

Millions of Americans enjoying their small windfall from President Barack Obama's "Making Work Pay" tax credit are in for an unpleasant surprise next spring.

The government is going to want some of that money back.

The tax credit is supposed to provide up to $400 to individuals and $800 to married couples as part of the massive economic recovery package enacted in February. Most workers started receiving the credit through small increases in their paychecks in the past month.

But new tax withholding tables issued by the IRS could cause millions of taxpayers to get hundreds of dollars more than they are entitled to under the credit, money that will have to be repaid at tax time.

At-risk taxpayers include a broad swath of the public: married couples in which both spouses work; workers with more than one job; retirees who have federal income taxes withheld from their pension payments and Social Security recipients with jobs that provide taxable income.

That basically is known as the American people, also known as suckers.

Instapundit link. Thanks!

Mississippi Lawyer Gets 18 Months for Tax Evasion, Immediately Qualifies for Obama Cabinet Position

How is it someone gets 18 months for tax evasion while Obama appointees get to make restitution and wound up with cabinet appointments?

Marshall E. Sanders, an attorney based in Vicksburg, Miss., was sentenced to 18 months in prison for failure to file tax returns by Magistrate Judge James C. Sumner, the Justice Department and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today. In addition, Judge Sumner ordered Sanders to pay restitution to the IRS of $1,025,453.

In November 2008, Sanders pleaded guilty to failing to file tax returns for years 2001 and 2002. According to the formal charging information and the court's findings at sentencing, Sanders earned gross income of over $2 million in 2001 and almost $500,000 in 2002. Moreover, Sanders failed to file individual income tax returns since 1995 and owed over $1.4 million in taxes to the IRS.

As part of his plea agreement, Sanders agreed to cooperate with the IRS in making a correct determination of his income tax liabilities for years 1995 through the present and to file complete and accurate tax returns for those years.

"As the tax filing deadline approaches, individuals are reminded that the failure to file tax returns can have serious legal consequences," said Ronald A. Cimino, Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General for Criminal Matters for the Justice Department's Tax Division. "The Department of Justice and IRS continue to protect the U.S. Treasury and the interests of honest taxpayers by prosecuting those who willfully violate our tax laws."

Yes we have a tax evader as treasury Secretary.

Postively Orwellian.

And why is Charlie Rangel walking free and telling constituents to mind their own goddamn business and this man goes to prison?

For pure hilarity, Sean Hannity noted last night Tim Geithner is going after tax cheats.

'Dear IRS'

As we've seen Tea Parties break out across the country, maybe to help supplement the public outrage we should also have citizens send 'Dear IRS' letters like the one above (click image to enlarge).

One Texas man makes his point with a letter to the IRS, but I doubt they'll be too understanding.

A Texas retiree has become a cause celebre for a satirical letter he wrote his hometown paper, saying he can't pay his taxes - and asking the IRS to treat him like famous tax cheats.

"Dear IRS," Ed Barnett wrote the Wichita Falls (Texas) Times Record News in February. "I am sorry to inform you that I will not be able to pay taxes owed April 15, but all is not lost."

Barnett, 67, listed 37 other taxes he's paid, including an obscure waterfowl stamp tax. And he asked the feds to forgive him, as they did such famous tax evaders as US Reps. Charles Rangel and Barney Frank, Sen. Chris Dodd, ex-Sen. Tom Daschle and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner.

Speaking of corrupt Democrats, the campaign contribution woes continue for New York's Anthony Weiner, a story we first noted here last week. Hey, I'm all for hanging with supermodels, but make sure their contributions are legal, OK?

IRS Commish Visits Tax Cheat Rangel

Unfortunately he didn't come and frogmarch him off to jail. It certainly doesn't send a good message when the head honcho of the Internal Revenue Service shares a stage with a notorious tax cheat and slobbers all over him.

Rumor has it Douglas Shulman will be appearing later with Tim Geithner and Tom Daschle.

The IRS's top man came to Harlem - and shared a stage with an accused tax cheat, Rep. Charles Rangel.

Commissioner Douglas Shulman and other officials yesterday urged New Yorkers to get the most out of their tax returns.

Asked about appearing with a pol who's being probed for failing to pay taxes, Shulman said, "He's one of the leaders in this country on tax policy issues. I work closely with him every day, and I'm honored to be on this stage with him."

Sharpton 'Donors' Hit With Subpoenas

Those companies that donated protection money to Al Sharpton, racial arsonist and good pal of Barack Obama, suddenly are facing a wave of subpoenas.

Of course, this will go nowhere as Sharpton has special priviliges and immunity from prosecution since he's a Democrat and has friends in high places.

The probe into the Rev. Al Sharpton's finances intensified this week, with the IRS sending out a flurry of subpoenas to his most generous corporate donors, The Post has learned.

Anheuser-Busch, the brewer of Budweiser and Michelob, confirmed yesterday that it received a federal subpoena in connection to its charitable giving to Sharpton's National Action Network.

"We have received a subpoena and are cooperating with the IRS," the company said in a statement.

Sharpton blasted the subpoena as a "fishing expedition" and said his donors are proud of their financial support. The St. Louis-based corporation donated between $100,000 and $499,000 to NAN in 2007 alone, according to its Web site, but declined further comment about its relationship with Sharpton. A knowledgeable source said several other corporate donors received or would soon receive subpoenas.
...
Sharpton himself, his business entities and his nonprofit civil-advocacy group owe millions in back taxes, documents show.

Personally, Sharpton owes $931,397 in federal taxes and $365,558 in New York City taxes, according to an IRS lien.

Makes you wonder how a guy can owe over a million dollars to the IRS and be walking free, no?

Ah, aren't double standards wonderful?

"That's not the Al Sharpton I knew," proclaimed Messiah Obama as he prepared more room under a very crowded bus.

IRS Investigates Obama Church

The left will be having conniptions over this. But who knows, maybe the Clintons still have some operatives at the IRS. Lord knows they used them enough while they were in the White House.

The IRS is investigating the United Church of Christ over a speech Barack Obama gave to its national meeting last year after he became a candidate for president.

Obama is a member of the church.

You mean The Messiah is just a mere member?

A spokesman for the denomination says it received notice of the inquiry on Monday.

The IRS says there is reason to believe the speech violated restrictions on political activity for nonprofit groups. The denomination denies any wrongdoing.

More here and here.

An earlier reference to this incident and background here.

The complaint alleges the UCC "violated every single point outlined in the IRS guidelines," in sponsoring the Illinois Senator's appearance at the church's bi-annual national gathering, which this year was held in the Hartford Civic Center in the Connecticut capital. It charges:

* "The United Church of Christ selectively provided the convention facilities for Sen. Obama to speak in support of his campaign."

* "The United Church of Christ and Sen. Obama referenced his candidacy before and during the speech."

* "Clear and deliberate campaign activity occurred in connection with the [sic] Sen. Obama's attendance and speech."

Specifically the complaint references guidelines that an individual addressing the church does so "only in a non-candidate capacity," that the individual makes no "mention of his or her candidacy or the election," and that "no campaign activity occurs in connection with the candidate's attendance." The complaint also cites a guideline that prohibits a church from mentioning an individual's political candidacy or the upcoming election in "the communications announcing the candidate's attendance at the event." Both a video and a transcript of Obama's speech are available on the UCC website and apparently will be present throughout the election.

The complaint is replete with citations and links directly to both the IRS guidelines themselves as well as the transcript of Obama's speech as presented on the UCC website. Also linked are communications from the UCC in the run-up to the event that focus on Obama's role not as a Senator but in his capacity as a presidential candidate.

Prediction: Zero will come of this.

Update: Hmm. And this. Does the IRS knows they have employees who worship at the Church of Obama?

Maybe it was the representation of youth in the crowd that lends the oft-cited air of a rock concert that has been attributed to Obama rallies.

But that wasn't quite it, not entirely. It was more like church – not the stuffy kind, but roof-shaking soul church where people testify and dance in the aisles when the spirit's upon them.

"It's electric! Can't you feel it?" said one man, who told me he was headed for work at the IRS after the rally. I could feel it, because it's a fundamental element of crowd psychology that the expectation of "electricity" creates it.

We may soon need mass de-programming.

Hot Air links. Thanks!

Update II: Interesting LA Times poll: McCain would beat Obama and Clinton, poll says. Quite at odds with the fraudulent CBS/NYT poll.