In a stunning revelation that has shaken the foundations of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a recent audit conducted by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) has uncovered widespread tax evasion among the agency’s own employees.
The report, requested by Sen. Joni Ernst, R-I.A., found that over 5,800 IRS and contractor employees owe nearly $50 million in overdue taxes.
Released on July 24, the audit paints an alarming picture of corruption at the agency responsible for enforcing tax laws in the United States.
Almost five percent of IRS employees were found to be non-compliant with their tax obligations, a scale of non-compliance that has raised serious concerns about the integrity of the organization.
Ernst, who has been at the forefront of this investigation, expressed her dismay at the findings.
“When IRS auditors can’t even pass my audit, it’s clear they can’t be trusted by the taxpayers,” Ernst stated in a statement.
“Between their tax evasion and rampant misconduct, the Biden-Harris administration’s army of IRS agents can’t even clear the most basic of hurdles. I’m working to end the double standard and hold these bureaucrats accountable to the same rules they enforce on hardworking Americans,” Ernst told the Washington Examiner.
The report’s findings go beyond simple tax delinquency.
It revealed that the IRS had rehired over 500 former employees with various misconduct issues, including criminal and sexual misconduct, inability to perform duties, fighting and assault, and unauthorized access to tax return information.
Alarmingly, 282 of these rehires had multiple documented conduct and performance issues.
In response to the scandal, Sen. Ernst is introducing the Audit the IRS Act. This legislation would mandate regular tax audits of agency employees and prohibit the IRS from hiring or retaining tax evaders.
Further, Ernst has called for a “zero-tolerance policy” for tax evasion and misconduct within the agency.
The senator has also sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, demanding answers about the agency’s plans to ensure 100% tax compliance among its employees and contractors.
Ernst insisted that the IRS should “routinely check the tax status of every employee and fire every employee and contractor who is delinquent on their taxes and not enrolled in a payment plan.”
The legal implications of these findings are significant. Tax evasion is a federal crime that can result in imprisonment and hefty fines.
Ernst has suggested that repeat offenders within the IRS should be referred to the Justice Department for prosecution, subjecting them to the same punishments the agency warns taxpayers about on its website.
This scandal raises serious questions about the IRS’s internal oversight and the standards to which it holds its own employees.