From an abstract for a paper titled “The Movement to Destroy the Income Tax and the IRS” by Diane L. Fahey of New York Law School:
“[A] small group of financial elites have used think tanks, the media, and politicians to undermine Americans’ faith in the fairness of the income tax and how it is administered. Their efforts began to bear fruit during the Reagan administration which passed the largest tax cuts in United States history. Just as importantly, these financial elites were able to market an anti-tax, anti-government philosophy that has at least superficial appeal. They have created in Americans distrust in the federal government and a sense of grievance that the tax system is unfair and that the Internal Revenue Service is a rogue, out-of-control agency. As a result, the Internal Revenue Service is now subject to restrictions that impede its ability to administer the tax system, further eroding the taxpaying ethos and compliance.”
Really? No one would think the federal tax code and the IRS are anything but fair and efficient if it weren’t for the efforts of a “small group of financial elites” to undermine confidence in the tax system? Wow.
A hat tip, once again, to the TaxProf Blog, where a commenter said:
“The key to reading this article is to understand that the phrase ‘small group of financial elites’ actually means 'people who pay income tax.'”
“[A] small group of financial elites have used think tanks, the media, and politicians to undermine Americans’ faith in the fairness of the income tax and how it is administered. Their efforts began to bear fruit during the Reagan administration which passed the largest tax cuts in United States history. Just as importantly, these financial elites were able to market an anti-tax, anti-government philosophy that has at least superficial appeal. They have created in Americans distrust in the federal government and a sense of grievance that the tax system is unfair and that the Internal Revenue Service is a rogue, out-of-control agency. As a result, the Internal Revenue Service is now subject to restrictions that impede its ability to administer the tax system, further eroding the taxpaying ethos and compliance.”
Really? No one would think the federal tax code and the IRS are anything but fair and efficient if it weren’t for the efforts of a “small group of financial elites” to undermine confidence in the tax system? Wow.
A hat tip, once again, to the TaxProf Blog, where a commenter said:
“The key to reading this article is to understand that the phrase ‘small group of financial elites’ actually means 'people who pay income tax.'”
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