Whistleblowers: IRS officials behind ‘fraudulent’ multi-billion dollar corporate tax giveaways

Fighting fire with empty words
While the banks get fat
And the poor stay poor
And the rich get rich
And the cops get paid
To look away
As the one percent rules America
Spreading the disease
Everybody needs
But no one wants to see
The way society
Keeps spreading the disease

except from Queensryche's "Spreading The Disease"

Hello again ATS.

The headline on this one is direct from the source and is accurate and plain enough that I opted to simply keep the title.

I would preface this with some sort of statement of shock or indignation but, truth be told, I ( as I think most of us ) have become so enured, so beaten down by the absolute decay of our system that nothing shocks me anymore. This is simply the latest nugget of truth on Mount Turd. Surprise, surprise. Not only are mega-corporations experts as avoiding taxes - it turns out that the IRS is helping them accomplish it.

That's right. The same IRS that would come and seize your couch, dog and firstborn if you shorted them a few bucks is letting their favored customers walk out on billions of dollars in taxes.

From the source:

In one case, the IRS was auditing a US company that fraudulently under-reported its profits by nearly $3 billion annually. On behalf of the IRS, the whistleblower had drafted a detailed report proving the fraud, but the agency “closed its audit without ever asking a question or reviewing the documents submitted.” As much as $4 billion in taxes were lost.

In another instance, “a solid case” allegedly involving $6 billion of taxes due was “inexplicably shut down” according to IRS criminal investigation agents. Instead, detailed evidence of fraud and malfeasance “in hundreds to thousands of specific accounts” was ignored. The agent blamed links between senior IRS executives and outside corporations associated with the case.

In the third case, $3 billion of taxes were allegedly uncollected and now accumulate year after year. The American company claimed to the IRS that it earns all profits outside the US, which are then invested overseas, while informing foreign jurisdictions that it earns nothing outside the US. Although US laws tax Americans “on worldwide income,” the IRS simply closed the investigation despite clear evidence of a taxable income.

I cannot type out the words "shaking my head" with enough sludge based apathetic rage. Robin Hood in reverse. But it gets worse:

Bill Henck, who has worked for over 26 years in the IRS Office of the Chief Counsel, agreed. “The senior executives drive the train on all this and pal around with lobbyists,” he said. “Treasury was involved with both the Elmer’s Glue scam and the black liquor taxability issue. IRS executives look out for themselves, which usually means protecting corporate interests, since they hire lobbyists and are close to politicians.”

According to Henck, this perspective of collusion between the Treasury, IRS, and corporate lobbies, is widely held by IRS employees: “I’ve talked to numerous revenue agents and attorneys within the IRS who believe, like I do, that the agency has hit the skids and that senior executives are dishonest.”

That's right. The lobbyists. And we thought they only owned Congress, The White House, and the Supreme Court. I guess owning the entire three branch system didn't make much sense if you didn't also go for the wallet ( The Fed and the IRS ).

There is a fury that begins to burn within me when I read articles like this. Even with the fact that I've been made so numb by so many issues just like this one.... Even with the fact that I know how corrupt the system is.... Even in the murky depths of my apathy - I begin to feel the fire rising in my soul. I sit and watch my homeland fragment into factions who, in turn, all decide to point the finger at one another rather than to stop and ask the most important question one can ask in this day and age:

Who profits from all this crap???

If your response is "Those bums on welfare begging me for my change when I get a latte in the morning"? I honestly can't help you. There is no Power Point presentation I can create that will color it any more plainly than this article does.

It is high time we removed the blindfold from Lady Justice just long enough for her to realize that the scale in her hands has tilted ALL the way to one side and that it is perilously close to falling over completely. We are The People. Not mega conglomerates. Not corporations. Not entities that have the unmitigated gall to laugh and claim that they are too big to fail.

Too big to fail? I say too dangerous to exist in a free society!

It is clear that those we elect are far too tainted or stupid to understand that our Republic is one of Representation. So why are these officials not representing the rage swelling up in the souls of the citizens of this once great land? Is greed the only objective morality we have left as a society? Can it be that we are this far gone?

I am sure people will show up and defend these corporations for being smart enough to beat the system - people who see themselves as potential benefactors of these precedents and the intrenched corruption. To them I say "Congratulations on being in the club - now turn around and look at the 99 people behind you who are paying your way into it. Look into their eyes and tell me... Are you afraid yet?"

The people raping our system like this should be. We The People have had enough.

Thanks for your time ATS.

Sure I give you big tax breaks and you give large donations to my party.

I make rules so the banks can make billions illegally but don't worry the fine for political purposes will be less than 10% of the profit you will reap. It is a win win for the players everyone else be damned.

Call it the circle of life for the government.

As this continues to take root in the psyche of the citizens of the American empire, the clouds grow darker and more ominous. There's a storm coming folks, and when it arrives, it's gonna blow for longer than just a minute.

originally posted by: Snarl
As this continues to take root in the psyche of the citizens of the American empire, the clouds grow darker and more ominous. There's a storm coming folks, and when it arrives, it's gonna blow for longer than just a minute.

My friend if that ever happens I am truly glad I will be out of country and on the sidelines..If it comes I would bet it will be a humdinger !

I would hate to really get pissed and do something stupid for my life and limb if I were there.. In my mind, to old, to be effective unless there were situations of my choice.. My blood pressure peaks out over some of the articles posted about cops and their shenanigans... And then people say, "the police report says" which IMO is usually embellished and has little regard for the truth... As evidenced by the back tracking when an "unknown to the cops" video appears..!

See there you go...now I need to lay down before I vapor lock !

a reply to: Hefficide
As you - I wish I could say that this is 'shocking' and 'unprecedented'...but...it's just another pile of sh*t, added to all the other piles of sh*t that will comprise this nation's epitaph.

I see the same sh*t every day and in every way in my particular industry. It's not just the Federal Government - It's every other form of government... State, County, City, Schools - you name it. Everyone is looking out for #1...and that's all.

Excellent piece, BTW!

a reply to: Hefficide

Just speechless.....

SnF

The rules are not written for everyone. They are written for those who only know to follow the rules. Besides, he who controls the money controls the rules. If 98% of the wealth is control by a few than surely you can't expect them to give that tax money back. 6 Billion dollars will buy them a lot of golden tubs. Besides, it's not about them getting richer, it's about ensuring you have nothing to offer but your blood, sweat and tears.

a reply to: Hefficide

now how do we get this information to go mainstream...what would it take to get people en mass to wake up and smell the corruption ?

Ugh, not the best thing to be reading first thing in the morning.
I can't imagine these IRS people letting them off the hook for $6 billion in taxes and not getting a little piece of the action for themselves.
That wouldn't be the American way, now would it?

To the tune of My Country Tis of Thee
Sing along:
My country's F-ing me
They always steal from me
The I-R-S
Land where my fathers cried -
"I feel like suicide!"
After reading threads by Hefficide
Let corruption ring!

a reply to: hopenotfeariswhatweneed

Sadly my belief is that if this ( or any other story like it ) were to go mainstream ( and some do ) America would wake up, pour their morning beverage of choice, half listen to the story as it crossed over GMA along with 90 other ten second tidbits. Then, on the way to work the talk radio would get them angry. They'd show up for work, kvetch at the water cooler, get distracted - and stay that way.

Honest to God I truly believe that if Hillary Clinton were to rip off her face, on live TV, to reveal that is actually is a reptile and then announced that she has unleashed a zombie plague virus that will kill us all so that the Plavuvians can come and steal our much coveted patio furnishings... The average person in this day and age would stop, pause, say "Meh" and order some take out pizza - cuz tonight is True Blood night after all.

This fits the profile of the IRS. But it does not stop there. This forum of tax evasion has actually grown to independent tax preparers. I have seen it for myself how these people play with numbers and look for the best possible outcome for the person with papers. You pay someone at those offices to lie for you. And they only offer a two year audit defense at a cheap price. I went to another place to file my taxes appropriately in fear of the IRS. But after reading this?

I can get away with it.

This information going public is a spearhead to the right minds. I should have just paid them to lie for me.

a reply to: Hefficide

lol.... that is a shockingly accurate description of what peoples reaction would most likely be ...who needs doom porn when we have this kind of a reality

a reply to: Hefficide

To coin a popular phrase;

"Winter is coming"

Corporations are people my friends!

We need to give more tax breaks and get rid of the minimum wage so these poor ceo's have enough left in their pocket so they can feed their families.

Can anyone imagine getting by on just a mere 75$ million dollar annual salary?