The IRS is being accused of selectively targeting Tea Party and Conservative groups that were applying for 501(c) tax exempt status. These tax exempt organizations cannot engage in political campaigns. Technically speaking their purpose is educational and for the social welfare.
It is a fact that Tea Party and Conservative groups have been blowing through the limits of what 501(c) nonprofits are allowed to do. As I stated in the article “Liberals Outrage On IRS Tea Party Scrutiny Unjustified & Foolish”, the IRS was justified and doing their jobs in researching these groups that have been actively corrupting the body politic by going beyond what the 501(c) code allows. Unfortunately many Liberals and the President in public articulate otherwise because of a misplaced political correctness.
The Treasury Inspector General Report For Tax Administration is out. This is the report that President Obama and Whitehouse Chief Spokesman Jay Carney have been alluding to in their respective press conferences. The highlights of the report follow:
IMPACT ON TAXPAYERS
Early in Calendar Year 2010, the IRS began using inappropriate criteria to identify
organizations applying for tax-exempt status to review for indications of significant political campaign intervention. Although the IRS has taken some action, it will need to do more so that the public has reasonable assurance that applications are processed without unreasonable delay in a fair and impartial manner in the future.WHY TIGTA DID THE AUDIT
TIGTA initiated this audit based on concerns expressed by members of Congress. The
overall objective of this audit was to determine whether allegations were founded that the IRS: 1) targeted specific groups applying for tax-exempt status, 2) delayed processing of targeted groups’ applications, and 3) requested unnecessary information from targeted groups.WHAT TIGTA FOUND
TIGTA initiated this audit based on concerns expressed by members of Congress. The overall objective of this audit was to determine whether allegations were founded that the IRS: 1) targeted specific groups applying for tax-exempt status, 2) delayed processing of targeted groups’ applications, and 3) requested unnecessary information from targeted groups.
Although the processing of some applications with potential significant political campaign intervention was started soon after receipt, no work was completed on the majority of these applications for 13 months. This was due to delays in receiving assistance from the Exempt Organizations function Headquarters office. For the 296 total political campaign intervention applications TIGTA reviewed as of December 17, 2012, 108 had been approved, 28 were withdrawn by the applicant, none had been denied, and 160 were open from 206 to 1,138 calendar days (some for more than three years and crossing two election cycles).
More than 20 months after the initial case was identified, processing the cases began in earnest. Many organizations received requests for additional information from the IRS that included unnecessary, burdensome questions (e.g., lists of past and future donors). The IRS later informed some organizations that they did not need to provide previously requested information. IRS officials stated that any donor information received in response to a request from its Determinations Unit was later destroyed.
WHAT TIGTA RECOMMENDED
TIGTA recommended that the IRS finalize the interim actions taken, better document the reasons why applications potentially involving political campaign intervention are chosen for review, develop a process to track requests for assistance, finalize and publish guidance, develop and provide training to employees before each election cycle, expeditiously resolve remaining political campaign intervention cases (some of which have been in process for three years), and request that social welfare activity guidance be developed by the Department of the Treasury.
In their response to the report, IRS officials agreed with seven of our nine recommendations and proposed alternative corrective actions for two of our recommendations. TIGTA does not agree that the alternative corrective actions will accomplish the intent of the recommendations and continues to believe that the IRS should better document the reasons why applications potentially involving political campaign intervention are chosen for review and finalize and publish guidance.
Unfortunately it is evident this report was written with a conclusion already predetermined for political reasons. The evidence is that the report’s conclusion matches the narrative by most pre-report.
For those that make the argument that this IRS must not be allowed to scrutinize the Tea Party base lest the Liberal base be scrutinized when no longer having the Whitehouse, it is important to note that that argument is invalid. When the GOP was in the Whitehouse they acted with impunity. They were unconcerned about political correctness. This is not said from a partisan perspective but from a factual one. They actually used the IRS to audit the NAACP and churches. They acted. And their Conservative base was OK with it.
The Liberal base’s false sense of purity as opposed to political reality hurts their ability to push their moral agenda which allows the immorality within the other base’s platform to dominate our body politic. Liberals must grow up to the reality of now.
That the ill intended groups were justifiably targeted is considered politically incorrect. Once again, the Right Wing has been successful in changing the parameters of the narrative and Liberals simply self-emaciate, lick their wounds, and then try to regroup as opposed to confront unjustified objections directly, forcefully, and with moral resolve.
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