TIGTA on "Illegal Tax Protesters"

[LPC]

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has released its annual report on the prohibition in Section 3707 of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 that the IRS not label taxpayers as "illegal tax protesters" or any similar designations.

Highlight: The TIGTA found that out of approximately 4.2 million records and cases, there were 16 instances in which 16 employees had referred to taxpayers as "Tax Protester," "Constitutionally Challenged," or other similar designations in case narratives on the computer systems analyzed.

May I be the first to say BFD.

Also of interest:

TIGTA made no recommendations in this report because the IRS has long disagreed with our determination that in order to comply with RRA 98 Section 3707, IRS employees should not designate taxpayers as Illegal Tax Protesters or similar designations in case histories. Moreover, TIGTA has previously elevated this disagreement to the Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer of the Department of the Treasury, but it has yet to be resolved.

[Burnaby49]

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration has released its annual report on the prohibition in Section 3707 of the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 that the IRS not label taxpayers as "illegal tax protesters" or any similar designations.

Highlight: The TIGTA found that out of approximately 4.2 million records and cases, there were 16 instances in which 16 employees had referred to taxpayers as "Tax Protester," "Constitutionally Challenged," or other similar designations in case narratives on the computer systems analyzed.

May I be the first to say BFD.

Also of interest:

TIGTA made no recommendations in this report because the IRS has long disagreed with our determination that in order to comply with RRA 98 Section 3707, IRS employees should not designate taxpayers as Illegal Tax Protesters or similar designations in case histories. Moreover, TIGTA has previously elevated this disagreement to the Assistant Secretary for Management and Chief Financial Officer of the Department of the Treasury, but it has yet to be resolved.

We have the same issue with the Canadian tax protester movement. When I worked for the Canada Revenue Agency protesters were always getting into a hissy-fit because some intenal CRA document or another had labeled them as "tax protesters". They'd claim we had violated their constitutional rights and, as a remedy, their reassessment should be abandoned. We were strictly enjoined not to use the term but so what? A label that a few CRA employees used on a memo or note did not have any legal bearing on whether the individuals were in violation of the tax law and did not prejudice their case in Tax Court.

[Number Six]

If we could only hear what the tax officials really say (in private) about the tax protestors...

Even the new DSM is rejecting the "narcissistic personality disorder" as a real category while including female sexual disfunction...

[Burnaby49]

If we could only hear what the tax officials really say (in private) about the tax protestors...

Even the new DSM is rejecting the "narcissistic personality disorder" as a real category while including female sexual disfunction...

The CRA isn't known as Comedy Central but we used to get a good laugh out of a tax protester film that was shown as an example of what to expect when dealing with them. They had a habit of "swarming". If a CRA auditor visited a protester all his/her buddies would go to the meeting so there would be a dozen or so of these morons all babbling "show me the law", or "show me your signed authorization from the prime minister of Canada" or some other inanity.

The film was taken by them to show potential devotees how effective they were. It was an amateur video they took of an actual audit when the auditor visited a protester for the usual futile attempt to explain why taxes were applicable. When the auditor left the protester's premises there was a gang of these clowns outside ranting and raving (and as pathetic a bunch of sad-sacks as you can imagine). The auditor ignored them and just pushed past the ones obstructing his way. They just about wet themselves with excitement proclaiming how one of them had been assaulted because the auditor had brushed against him walking past. They promptly took the film to the police to press assault charges. The cops watched the film and had a good laugh then threw the morons out and confiscated the film. The police gave the film to the CRA and we used it for training and comic relief.

[wserra]

protesters were always getting into a hissy-fit because some intenal CRA document or another had labeled them as "tax protesters"

"Selfish assholes" works too. Maybe they'd prefer that.

[LaVidaRoja]

I like that. Accurate and specific in context. TIGTA would have to try to argue that is is sufficiently similar to the forbidden description to discipline the user. That would be an interesting arguement to hear.

[obadiah]

The film was taken by them to show potential devotees how effective they were. It was an amateur video they took of an actual audit when the auditor visited a protester for the usual futile attempt to explain why taxes were applicable. When the auditor left the protester's premises there was a gang of these clowns outside ranting and raving (and as pathetic a bunch of sad-sacks as you can imagine). The auditor ignored them and just pushed past the ones obstructing his way. They just about wet themselves with excitement proclaiming how one of them had been assaulted because the auditor had brushed against him walking past. They promptly took the film to the police to press assault charges. The cops watched the film and had a good laugh then threw the morons out and confiscated the film. The police gave the film to the CRA and we used it for training and comic relief.

Is it on YouTube? I could sure use a laugh today.

[Burnaby49]

The film was taken by them to show potential devotees how effective they were. It was an amateur video they took of an actual audit when the auditor visited a protester for the usual futile attempt to explain why taxes were applicable. When the auditor left the protester's premises there was a gang of these clowns outside ranting and raving (and as pathetic a bunch of sad-sacks as you can imagine). The auditor ignored them and just pushed past the ones obstructing his way. They just about wet themselves with excitement proclaiming how one of them had been assaulted because the auditor had brushed against him walking past. They promptly took the film to the police to press assault charges. The cops watched the film and had a good laugh then threw the morons out and confiscated the film. The police gave the film to the CRA and we used it for training and comic relief.

Is it on YouTube? I could sure use a laugh today.

Not that I'm aware. While the CRA showed it internally they would not have released a public copy. I saw it about eight years ago. If it is representative of our protesters they are far less scary than your sovereigns. If you saw the video you'd wonder why these fools bothered since they didn't look as if they could scrounge up the entry fee to a day at Disneyland between them. Their combined taxable income (under the CRA's definition of the term, not theirs) must have been totally trivial.