IRS Recruiting at Rapid Pace Amid DC Boom Times

Should the agency be hiring new staff?

Perhaps an indication of the economic boom seeming to take place in DC and few other places, the Internal Revenue Service is streamlining its hiring process, reports The Hill, and approving new tax collectors at a rapid clip.

According to the Treasury Department, the IRS is meeting its goal of bringing on new hires in just shy of three months, or 80 days. This in contrast to 2009, when it reportedly took the agency roughly five months to obtain new staff.

The agency still faces a hiring freeze "for most positions," according to the Treasury Department's report, but they're working around it by hiring in roles not affected by the freeze.

Conservatives might question whether any government agency should be expanding with the economy still flat. But it's been argued recently that having too few tax collectors is a false economy, since the IRS loses so much money in tax cheating. "The most recent IRS estimate shows a $385 billion shortfall in revenue, mostly from under-reported income," according to CBS.

Via The Hill.

Should the IRS be taking on new staff?

[PoliticalSpice]

I understand michelle bauchman worked as a tax attorney hounding people for the irs. Not everyone can go on to a cushy job as a republican in congress, some need a real job. If it was good enough for her, why not for others?

[Buzzfriendly]

Good point. Digressing a little I wonder if we coup enough in back taxes to justify the personnel expense of those going after those people.

[PoliticalSpice]

@Buzzfriendly well i think income tax should be drastically curtailed for all but the richest. No one making less then 30,000 a year should file a return. We should collect other tax to
Make up for it from a tiny national sales tax of .5% on everything but groceries, prepared meals of over $25, and cloths costing less the $100. These ghree things should be exempt. Other taxes on services like electric and other utilities, all of which must add up to the amount lost by eliminating income tax and the need to file for those making under 30,000 a year.

With that done they can focus better, and should confine investigation and audits to folks making at least 60,000 a year, starting with top income levels...

[Denizen_Kate]

@PoliticalSpice - I agree with all of this except the part about taxing utilities, something about which no one has any real choice.

[PoliticalSpice]

@Denizen_Kate well i am very close to a socialist in terms of basic programs like social security, socialized medicine and creation of govt jobs. But I want govt to collect less information and be less of a hassle for the average person. If we pull a bunch of people out of the income tx stream how do we raise the revenue? My solution is tax on the end users, they don't need disclose information, but they need pay. If it were purely a national sales tax it would be too expensive, and if you want everyone to pay something utility bills are a great way to do that. And people do have a choice. One can reduce electric use, and tv is a luxuary not a necessity. One can cut out premium channels, indeed on need notwatch tv at all...

[bsking]

They're hiring new people because of Obama care.

Translation for the low information voter:

Obamacare is a tax on everyone. the IRS collects taxes they don't give out flu shots or free birth control pills ;-)

[DomesticG]

But they should offer free KY...

[bsking]

@DomesticG yeah they should, but something tells me they like it rough.

[DomesticG]

@bsking well damn...I thought when you paid for it you got to get it how you wanted...

[stepped_in_it]

@DomesticG The devil only uses saliva when he pokes his pitchfork in you.....but the devil runs out of saliva so you want to be towards the front of the line....you want that saliva!(Two and a Half Men...when Charlie Sheen was on it).

[bsking]

@DomesticG yeah but that's more like a date.
When you're dealing with the IRS it's more like a date rape ;-)

[thejimbo]

I can't wait to salute these IRS noobs as I drive past the IRS building in downtown DC, and we all know the only way to salute them! ;)

[Rocker]

Show 'em they're 'number one' with me too, Jimbo.

It's so cold in DC that I saw an agent with his hands in his OWN pockets...

[thejimbo]

@Rocker LOL, well we're barely at the freezing mark here in the District with a couple flurries here and there, how's TN doing today?

[Rocker]

@thejimbo - I got up to a bit of snow this a.m. believe it or not. The buttercups are blooming here and there has been very few times that I can remember when they didn't get either ice or snow on 'em. So all is normal. Sun shining now. Cows mooing, wind blowing, creek is .... creeking. That sort of thing. lol

[Thegrif]

Income Tax

Doesn't IRS themselves actually refer to it as a Voluntary Consumption Tax?

I learned long ago, never volunteer.

[dances-weebles]

the difference between the irs and a duck is that a duck won't shove his bill up your nether end.

[Denizen_Kate]

@Neo_NtheMatrix - Are you still here? When is the big move to Canada, eh?

[stepped_in_it]

Operation Obama is under way! And his voters thought only the rich was going to be taxed more. The low informational voter is so gullible!

[RobertJHarsh]

You need people ready to put the hurt on the success class in this country. Obama must keep his gimmedat supporters happy with EBT cards and the money to pay for the 47% must come from somewhere.

[harold_lloyd]

They shouldn't, except for the fact that congress is screwing up the tax laws faster than anyone can keep up with, including Congress.

[ACTSmom]

This administration will now tout the employment numbers going up!

[NTBFW]

I read yesterday about the IRS hiring more agents to prepare for Obamacare. The article also said that the cheapest plan was the Bronze level. It stated that plan would cost a family of four $20,000. This is affordable? It looks like a lot of people will be paying the fine.

[Denizen_Kate]

Please cite your source.

[NTBFW]

@Denizen_Kate IRS.

[NTBFW]

@Denizen_Kate I saw it on twitter and don't remember. But it will pop up again and I will copy the link.

[Denizen_Kate]

@NTBFW - Thanks!

[NTBFW]

@Denizen_Kate I'm sure if you are on twitter it won't be long before you see it.

[JustTheFacts]

Just more government spending and leeches running the country deeper in debt!

[AceLuby]

If they need them they need them. We need EFFECTIVE govt to deal with the issues and size of our population, that means govt will grow as the size of the nation grows. Funny how nobody had an issue w/ this 10 years ago when govt was growing faster than ever before... Obaaamaaa... why did you start this when you were a state senator?

[Canoochee]

Yet another reason to pass the FAIR Tax and get rid of these predators.

[whataGOVwehave]

They are only doing this to collect past due taxes. It's a step forward. But I bet all the jobs will be seasonal.

[Vance1]

IRS Recruiting at Rapid Pace?
Yep prepairing for the "Obama Tax society"

[Clarke12]

there is no economic boom happening; the IRS is just hiring people.

[Sabio]

they need to ramp up staffing in preparation for the massive taxation they are about to let loose on the middle class!

[ConserveUSA]

They are out to get us!:)

[SomethinsFishy]

Well, I guess the conventional wisdom in Washington D.C. is since they are preparing to make a significant number of Americans criminals with the proposed "Assault Weapons Ban of 2013" (Google that + blogspot.com ) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives IS underneath the Department of the Treasury, as is the Infernal, oops, I mean Internal Revenue Service, it makes sense to have an organization performing the function of "pilot fish" cleaning up after the BATFE sharks savage American gun owners. The BATFE will confiscate weapons, present the case to US Attorneys everywhere and the Infernal, er I mean Internal Revenue Service will go after their assets for failure to pay NFA taxes, fees, penalties, etc. Sort of like adding additional length to a legal and financial organism's digestive system.