The Cost of Violent TPs

[The Observer]

Tax Notes is reporting today that Joseph Stack's suicide crash into the IRS offices in 2010 cost the IRS nearly $40 million in dealing with the aftermath of the attack:

The IRS spent $ 6.4 million in its immediate response to the incident and in resuming normal operations in Austin afterward, with half of that sum devoted to document recovery, according to the report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. Another $ 32.2 million went toward security enhancements at IRS facilities nationwide, including $ 30.5 million in increased guard services.

[Number Six]

There is also the hidden costs involved. Clowns like that are likely to force the IRS to become more rigid, more doctrinairre in their handling of matters, and more likely to drop the hammer on anyone looking like a trouble maker - an "us versus them" mentality.

Plus you have all the anxiety-related effects at the time of the event by IRS employees, the sick gloating by tax cheats around the world that maybe this event would make tax workers less apt to do their jobs in holding them accountable. IMO audit rates should be much higher to interdict fraud in all of its forms. I did a deal with a coin dealer yesterday who would not accept a check, though I have creds. up the wazoo, and said even if I paid with cash he would have to charge me VT sales tax. He wanted me to trade for his stuff with gold bullion. This is just par for the course these days.