79% of cows?

69 Percent say is it's wrong.. but how many actually do it any way?


/firsties?

because we all know the IRS never scams anyone.

pew pew pew

When 30% of your income vanishes leading up to April and that doesn't include the remaining 10-20% that is likely getting picked up in secondary taxes like State and local sales taxes, you start to get creative. Just like the governments.

Shakes fist at Gleemax... Foiled again!

well done

IceBORG:


/firsties?

Not yours. Can't have.

I just love how a jealous asshole like the submitter seems to thin k that the only people who lie and cheat are the wealthy. It's almost as if he thinks that that's the only way they become wealthy, as opposed to working much harder than he does. Sure, some are crooks but that doesn't mean all, or even most are. I wonder if subby thinks all black people are bangers and crack dealers too?

Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

Cheating may be wrong, but it's OK to make honest mistakes.

/Audit tip

I'm a CEO and getting a kick out of these replies.

libbynomore2: Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status

Nope. It's just wealthy CEO's and politicians who cheat on their taxes. Everyone else is completely honest

/ I read it on the Internet, so it must be true

libbynomore2: Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm

eddyatwork: I'm a CEO and getting a kick out of these replies.

Owning a taco stand doesn't make you a CEO.

Tax avoidance vs tax evasion.

Avoid all you can.

MacEnvy:The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.
===============

Rich people get tax breaks on epic scales. I've seen rich people be able to write off ENTIRE HOMES on their taxes.

libbynomore2: I just love how a jealous asshole like the submitter seems to thin k that the only people who lie and cheat are the wealthy. It's almost as if he thinks that that's the only way they become wealthy, as opposed to working much harder than he does. Sure, some are crooks but that doesn't mean all, or even most are. I wonder if subby thinks all black people are bangers and crack dealers too?

Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

Buying something at the price it is being sold is theft?

I see you only like personal responsibility sometimes.

MacEnvy: libbynomore2: Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm

Maybe if the tax brackets weren't so completely unfair it wouldn't be a problem. Why should I have to pay 33% of my income when others only have to pay 20%? How is that fair? It isn't.

/Flat tax supporter
//Pick a freaking number and stick with it

RandomFeature: MacEnvy: libbynomore2: Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm

Maybe if the tax brackets weren't so completely unfair it wouldn't be a problem. Why should I have to pay 33% of my income when others only have to pay 20%? How is that fair? It isn't.

/Flat tax supporter
//Pick a freaking number and stick with it

Perhaps you get more use from government services. Business owners profit from police protection of their facilities and roads far more than I do.

jake3988: MacEnvy:The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.
===============

Rich people get tax breaks on epic scales. I've seen rich people be able to write off ENTIRE HOMES on their taxes.

Yeah, and when the calculations are complete they ended up getting to deduct as a percentage about the same as you. After a certain income level you only get X percent of your deductions. So even if you put down an ENTIRE HOUSE you only got to deduct a percentage of it.

I've seen poor people get back all the taxes they paid in PLUS MORE (Earned Income Credit). Explain how THAT'S fair.

MacEnvy: libbynomore2: Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm

Maybe some people aren't into class wars. This whole "us vs. them fark RICH PEOPLE" mentality is retarded. Rich people come in all shapes and sizes, just like us poor folk - dumb, smart, honest, cheaters, liars, etc. Just because you're rich doesn't mean you deserve less respect or to be ostracized.

Uncle Karl: RandomFeature: MacEnvy: libbynomore2: Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm

Maybe if the tax brackets weren't so completely unfair it wouldn't be a problem. Why should I have to pay 33% of my income when others only have to pay 20%? How is that fair? It isn't.

/Flat tax supporter
//Pick a freaking number and stick with it

Perhaps you get more use from government services. Business owners profit from police protection of their facilities and roads far more than I do.

Not a business owner.
Work from home, rarely use the roads.
Live in a decent neighborhood, never need the cops.

MacEnvy: eddyatwork: I'm a CEO and getting a kick out of these replies.

Owning a taco stand doesn't make you a CEO.

More like a CTO (Chief Taco Owner).

/I keel me.

RandomFeature: Uncle Karl: RandomFeature: MacEnvy: libbynomore2: Shocking as it may seem, liars and cheats come in all shapes, sizes, color, gender and economic status as evidenced by the story about the crappy people who lined up around the block to steal gas for 35 cents when they knew it was supposed to be $3.35.

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm

Maybe if the tax brackets weren't so completely unfair it wouldn't be a problem. Why should I have to pay 33% of my income when others only have to pay 20%? How is that fair? It isn't.

/Flat tax supporter
//Pick a freaking number and stick with it

Perhaps you get more use from government services. Business owners profit from police protection of their facilities and roads far more than I do.

Not a business owner.
Work from home, rarely use the roads.
Live in a decent neighborhood, never need the cops.

I was just coming up with a scenario. Really we need to have X% income tax, applied to any earnings over Y amount, no deductions for anything ever.

TheWizard: When 30% 42% of your income vanishes

Fixed

You people bashing my taco cart are going to get the special sauce next time you order.

MacEnvy 2008-04-12 12:48:15 PM

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm


Yeah you're right, we should all think like you and hold people do different standards of honor and decency based on how much money they make, or don't make.

See MacEnvy I'm not taking up for the ultra wealthy per se, I just find it interesting that people like you, clearly clouded by envy ( nice name btw ) want to hold them to a different standard than you.

Here's where your so-called " logic " is tragically flawed. The sub-prime mortgage crisis had a few victims ( of their own ignorance and stupidity ) but most were perps. First, you had potential buyers lying through their teeth about income so they could take out loans they could not afford. Then you had the Lenders and brokers who enabled these cheats to qualify. The result? lots of forclosures, the near collapse of Bear Sterns and a tumbling economy.

Some of the crooks were millionares, some were middle class, some poor. You would punish some and not others based on income right? I say all were directly involved are crooks and all should pay.

Being so blinded by jealousy I don't expect you to see any of this. But that's what it is.

Jeffrey.Rodriguez: Tax avoidance vs tax evasion.

Avoid all you can.

The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion is:
A. A smart lawyer
B. 10 years in prison
C. Whatever the IRS says
D. All of the above

/Obscure?

libbynomore2 2008-04-12 01:01:54 PM
MacEnvy 2008-04-12 12:48:15 PM

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.


Yeah, Like the execs at Enron, Worldcom, Global Crossing, Tyco, Adelphia, Aurther Anderson, Mirant, Michael Milkin....and the list goes on, and on, and on.

libbynomore2: MacEnvy 2008-04-12 12:48:15 PM

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.

Nice to see someone sticking up for the ultra-wealthy though. They clearly need our help and support.
/facepalm


Yeah you're right, we should all think like you and hold people do different standards of honor and decency based on how much money they make, or don't make.

See MacEnvy I'm not taking up for the ultra wealthy per se, I just find it interesting that people like you, clearly clouded by envy ( nice name btw ) want to hold them to a different standard than you.

Here's where your so-called " logic " is tragically flawed. The sub-prime mortgage crisis had a few victims ( of their own ignorance and stupidity ) but most were perps. First, you had potential buyers lying through their teeth about income so they could take out loans they could not afford. Then you had the Lenders and brokers who enabled these cheats to qualify. The result? lots of forclosures, the near collapse of Bear Sterns and a tumbling economy.

Some of the crooks were millionares, some were middle class, some poor. You would punish some and not others based on income right? I say all were directly involved are crooks and all should pay.

Being so blinded by jealousy I don't expect you to see any of this. But that's what it is.

If you write bad loans that is just the lenders fault. If I claim I make $1billion/hr and you don't check and give me a loan that is your fault.

The sub-prime mortgage crisis had far more than a few victims, everyone who has a 401k is a victim of that mess, heck everyone in this country just about. If you pay taxes you are a victim of the Bear Stearns fiasco considering that the fed gave them a nice $30 billion dollar loan with your money that they will never really have to pay back. Why should some rich asshole who wrote bad loans/bought bad loans get my tax dollars?

libbynomore2: libbynomore2 2008-04-12 01:01:54 PM
MacEnvy 2008-04-12 12:48:15 PM

The difference being, rich people do it on a (necessarily) larger scale, and also almost always get away with it.


Yeah, Like the execs at Enron, Worldcom, Global Crossing, Tyco, Adelphia, Aurther Anderson, Mirant, Michael Milkin....and the list goes on, and on, and on.

Did any of them go to actual prison? NO, just country clubs.
Are any of them poor now? NO. They hid money and lied or gave it to spouses.
Did they get away with it? For the most part.

They should have all been bankrupted and had all their possessions sold to pay the bills they left behind. Then given public housing and a welfare check.

RandomFeature: Maybe if the tax brackets weren't so completely unfair it wouldn't be a problem. Why should I have to pay 33% of my income when others only have to pay 20%? How is that fair? It isn't.

If you don't understand why some people pay different percentages than others, perhaps you shouldn't trying to also be convincing people that your ideas are better.

/kill the IRS

dustman81: Jeffrey.Rodriguez: Tax avoidance vs tax evasion.

Avoid all you can.

The difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion is:
A. A smart lawyer
B. 10 years in prison
C. Whatever the IRS says
D. All of the above

/Obscure?

E. The thickness of a prison wall.

/don't know who said that

The crudeness of the American System is such that it is only set up to help either the obscenely rich or the disgustingly destitute, and of the latter, only political minorities. For the vast majority of Americans in the middle, the system will not help them and doesn't see any reason to, even when they most need it or perfectly fit the requirements for aid. Most Americans don't see anything wrong with this, as they are from decent families, stable income brackets, with adequate access to education and careers that they don't ever have the need to rely on the system at all. There is, however, a growing income bracket of working class Americans, educated, reliable, hard-working non-minorities who are not far enough beneath the poverty line as to be eligible for assistance from the System, nor so far above it that they can secure a financial safety net for themselves. They live paycheck to paycheck, applying every earned dime towards the maintenance and upkeep of their very existence. When a legal or financial obstacle is broached, they are often left desolate by the very System that swore to represent them.

There are two great ironies about the System. One is that, although set up to help those in need and provide opportunities to those who have none, it does very little of one and none of the other. The other irony is that those in the middle, the ones whom the system was most designed for, tend not to use it. In fact, they consider it shameful or beneath them to use it at all, or something akin to cheating. The middle is the group of people who are the most honest, the most generous, the most fair, and at the very least, the most self-sufficient. By far, the greatest abusers of the System are the two groups it spends almost all its energy on: The very top echelon, who control it and bully it and use it for political power, legislative righteousness and legal justification for the actions of their personal and financial spheres of influence. America, after all, wasn't founded on the principles of unrestrained freedom; it was founded on the principles of unrestrained freedom to exploit others.

The other group -- the very bottom -- can be as equally abusive as the very top, to the point where they have made over-reliance on the System's assistance programs a virtual profession in itself, taxing its limited resources.

The biggest difference between the upper abusers and the lower abusers is typically money. Both groups use the System to break the rules, but only the upper abusers have the means to avoid punishment if they get caught. The lower abusers do not have this advantage. Moreover, the System doesn't necessarily despise cheaters; it just hates when they're really bad at it. In other words, if you don't have money and you break the rules, the System will come down on you hard. The System will absolve almost any transparent and reckless use of its services, so long as the assailant can get out of it cleanly, quickly and quietly (usually helped by legal aid and money). For those in the middle, there is no hope. Both extremes will use the system to screw the hapless middle whenever they become entangled with it. For the middle there is virtually no assistance, no help, no aid, and no one on their side when matters need to be decided politically, economically or legally.

Congressmen and CEOs don't cheat on their taxes. They just change/lobby to change the tax laws so the they don't have to.

50% of all satistics are wrong, just no one knows which half is right.

Uncle Karl: Why should some rich asshole who wrote bad loans/bought bad loans get my tax dollars?

Because if we piss them off they'll take their business elsewhere and then society would fall apart.

Or so said my dead zombie girlfriend Ayn.

/during our kinky necrophiliac sex she'll scream, "fark me harder Josef Stalin" which is my cue to slap her

MusicMakeMyHeadPound: Uncle Karl: Why should some rich asshole who wrote bad loans/bought bad loans get my tax dollars?

Because if we piss them off they'll take their business elsewhere and then society would fall apart.

Or so said my dead zombie girlfriend Ayn.

/during our kinky necrophiliac sex she'll scream, "fark me harder Josef Stalin" which is my cue to slap her

Then we don't let them do business with our citizens and a new company will be created to service the void they left.

A younger friend of mine was ranting about how really large companies (like Exxon) shouldn't be allowed to make any profits, that we should tax every penny they make over their expenses, any losses should come out of their own pockets, and if they go out of business then "tough luck."

"So, are you planning on walking to work?"

"No, why?"

"Where are you going to get the gas for your truck?"

"Oh, I'll just buy from the convenience store on the corner."

/doh

Uncle Karl: MusicMakeMyHeadPound: Uncle Karl: Why should some rich asshole who wrote bad loans/bought bad loans get my tax dollars?

Because if we piss them off they'll take their business elsewhere and then society would fall apart.

Or so said my dead zombie girlfriend Ayn.

/during our kinky necrophiliac sex she'll scream, "fark me harder Josef Stalin" which is my cue to slap her

Then we don't let them do business with our citizens and a new company will be created to service the void they left.

OMFG THIS.

Also, I think America needs chemotherapy to get rid of the multiple business cancers it has created. Yeah, it may not be a fun process, but it would be better than having the terminal disease we have now.

RandomFeature: Maybe if the tax brackets weren't so completely unfair it wouldn't be a problem. Why should I have to pay 33% of my income when others only have to pay 20%? How is that fair? It isn't.

It depends on what you mean by "fair". Poor people also have a lot lower percentage of their income left over after basic necessities are met, so you might consider it unfair to charge them the same percentage in taxes as a rich person (since the tax rate on their disposable income would then be higher).

Uncle Karl:

The sub-prime mortgage crisis had far more than a few victims, everyone who has a 401k is a victim of that mess, heck everyone in this country just about. If you pay taxes you are a victim of the Bear Stearns fiasco considering that the fed gave them a nice $30 billion dollar loan with your money that they will never really have to pay back. Why should some rich asshole who wrote bad loans/bought bad loans get my tax dollars?

The point which you keep missing (probably because you're either a troll or just very dense) is that it wasn't some rich asshole who wrote bad loans or bought bad loans. People from all walks were hit: the poor person who legitimately needs a subprime market so he can get back on his feet, then pay back those who helped along the way. The lower-middle class family who is taking their first steps to moving up in the economic world, taking out a subprime loan because they don't have enough credit history to get a standard loan. The middle-middle class person who relied on selling the loans to the first two in order to bring home a paycheck to feed her family. The upper-middle class person who decided to save for their retirement or their children's college by purchasing AAA loan bonds, not realizing they were making a riskier investment. The upper class person who provided both the capital and securities, as well as the framework for this loan process through the business they established.

You'd tell me the only ones of fault in the above are the upper-middle and upper classes, because they somehow have earned hatred through their monetary wealth. I say you're a fool, and the crooked members who caused the collapse could be anyone: the poor person whose business was drug dealing (a whole other issue, but let's start there), the lower-middle class who didn't want to move up, just to splurge on a vacation they couldn't afford, the middle-middle who knew the first two were doing such, but wanted to help his bottom line, the upper-middle who thought to package the AAA bond with the subprime, because it helped their bottom line, and the upper class who sat by without doing a thing about it.

Anyone can be good, anyone bad, so try to stop looking at the world through such class-polarized lenses.

Typical conversation around this time of year:
"How much did you pay in taxes?"
"I didn't... I got $500 back"

Uh, no you didn't. End mandatory witholdings. Force every citizen to write a check once a quarter to the government for their share of taxes (regardless of whatever progressive, regressive, flat or other scheme) and watch how fast the system changes.

But, I'm a Fair Tax fan. Yes, it isn't perfect. But it is way better than what we have now. I just sent in a 32 page return. And, I'm not anywhere near what you'd consider "wealthy." I earn a good salary, and have made a few other investments (including real estate - which I'm still making money on) and it just makes tax preparation a ridiculous effort.

RandomFeature:
Not a business owner.
Work from home, rarely use the roads.
Live in a decent neighborhood, never need the cops.

And if you think that means you aren't served by the government you don't want to pay for, then you are a complete idiot.
You have an entire society built to support that lifestyle, and you are too damned oblivious to know it.
You have regulated utilities that provide you power and communications. You get paid, because we have a legal system that would punish employers for stiffing you. You never need the cops, because they're doing their jobs and keeping criminals out of your neighborhood. Unless you keep your money in your mattress, it's safe in an insured bank, or at least tracked in a regulated brokerage account. You buy your food and clothing from stores, which only exist because our government protects them. You live under a roof only because our government keeps records of land titles, or because our government enforces leases.
You can pretend you're self sufficient, a real mountain man, but you're not- you're just a god-damned pussy who is so self-centered that he can't even begin to comprehend the ways that society benefits him.
But that's OK- pussies like you whine alot, but, being pussies, always do what they're told, and pay their taxes.

Tawnos: Uncle Karl:

The sub-prime mortgage crisis had far more than a few victims, everyone who has a 401k is a victim of that mess, heck everyone in this country just about. If you pay taxes you are a victim of the Bear Stearns fiasco considering that the fed gave them a nice $30 billion dollar loan with your money that they will never really have to pay back. Why should some rich asshole who wrote bad loans/bought bad loans get my tax dollars?

The point which you keep missing (probably because you're either a troll or just very dense) is that it wasn't some rich asshole who wrote bad loans or bought bad loans. People from all walks were hit: the poor person who legitimately needs a subprime market so he can get back on his feet, then pay back those who helped along the way. The lower-middle class family who is taking their first steps to moving up in the economic world, taking out a subprime loan because they don't have enough credit history to get a standard loan. The middle-middle class person who relied on selling the loans to the first two in order to bring home a paycheck to feed her family. The upper-middle class person who decided to save for their retirement or their children's college by purchasing AAA loan bonds, not realizing they were making a riskier investment. The upper class person who provided both the capital and securities, as well as the framework for this loan process through the business they established.

You'd tell me the only ones of fault in the above are the upper-middle and upper classes, because they somehow have earned hatred through their monetary wealth. I say you're a fool, and the crooked members who caused the collapse could be anyone: the poor person whose business was drug dealing (a whole other issue, but let's start there), the lower-middle class who didn't want to move up, just to splurge on a vacation they couldn't afford, the middle-middle who knew the first two were doing such, but wanted to help his bottom line, the upper-middle who thought to package the AAA bond with the subprime, because it helped their bottom line, and the upper class who sat by without doing a thing about it.

Anyone can be good, anyone bad, so try to stop looking at the world through such class-polarized lenses.

Not what I said at all. Lots of people got screwed, but those responsible are the ones who wrote bad loans. If they had not made those loans we would not be in this mess.

The poor folks losing their homes are not getting my tax dollars, but the rich folks who ruined Bear Stearns are getting a loan for near nothing.

The people writing bad loans weren't rich though. They worked for a company and were often just middle class people. The "rich" folks simply provided the financing. They didn't "ruin" Bear Stearns, they allowed it to exist in the first place.

Cart goes behind horse.

The other twenty-one percent laugh as they walk into their executive boardrooms and Congressional offices

FTFY

It is not immoral, just inexcusable for practical reasons.

If you will read the tax code (which is long and boring but well worth while considering the money involved) you will find that there are loopholes after loopholes, one on top of another, which allow rich people to pay no taxes at all, while the little guy gets screwed to the wall.

99% of all people cheat on their taxes, but they do not cheat the gov't---they cheat themselves, by not taking advantage of every deduction the law allows.

So be honest, pay every cent you owe, which works out to about 25--30% of what you are paying already, and laugh all the way to the bank.

Works for me.

The government lies to us constantly...I see no problem with lying back.

Yay! Tax thread!

First off, a side note: Bear Stearns is done, gone kaput, finished. The @29B loan (originally $30B, but JPMC is buying the stock at 5 times the original price) will go to JP Morgan Chase, for the purpose of buying the rubble from the collapse. This is all subject to change, of course, because a class action suit has been filed to challenge the purchase offer, and so the collapse will only get worse while Bear Stearns's debt portfolio is in limbo

That said, the US 'tax gap' is a self-perpetuating problem. As the number of uncollected dollars goes up, the number of people who rightfully feel screwed will only rise, and the number of people whose personal indignation levels reach the tipping point goes up, leading to more uncollected dollars and around we go.

In an asymptotic way, though, the problem can be fixed. In theory, with sufficient time, money, and legislative action, a system could be created that would account for every dollar. Such a system would not be the kind of place any American wshould tolerate living in, though, as it would mean the end of cash and the tracking of every transaction. Backing off from the 100% pipe dream, though, there are a couple things that can be done at a basic level to bring the number down.

First, there needs to be a recognition that the purpose of the tax law is to collect revenue for the government. Much of the complexity which makes the tax code so dense to the average reader is the large number of provisions, including some very popular credits(EITC, Hybrid Vehicle) and deductions(Classroom supplies purchased by K-12 teachers) that use the tax code as an instrument of social policy. Hiding an expenditure by pretending you are 'generously' not taking the money in is pure financial chicanery. The issue of progressivity in the rate schedule has a financial component to it as well as a moral one, so I leave that one alone.Second, the Department of the Treasury in general, and the IRS in specific, needs to be treated as a revenue center in the budget process rather than a cost center. At the current level of enforcement, a dollar spent returns 8 or 9, depending on which year you are looking at. The problem is, of course, that fully trained Revenue Officers and Revenue Agents don't appear out of thin air when you throw money at the IRS. They take years to get up to speed, and any time frame longer than the election cycle in the House might as well be forever as far as political will is concerned.

Finally, to those saying 'kill the IRS' etcetera, you have been fooled. The IRS is a bureaucracy. It has a set of rules that it follows, like every other bureaucracy. These rules are designed to collect money and information, and so the net result of the IRS following those rules is the collection of money and information. If you think long enough, you will find great comfort in the fact that the IRS as an entity has no emotional investment in you or your money. What Congress says, the IRS does. Much like a fiscal Zaphod Beeblebrox, the IRS is a very easy public focus for tax-related ire, but the IRS does not set tax rates, or penalty rates, or even interest rates. It administers the law that our duly elected Congress sets down. When this upsets people, you have 1998 all over again.