Swordsmyth
12-21-2017, 02:00 AM
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, which oversees the Internal Revenue Service, reports that (https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2017reports/201710074fr.pdf) in fiscal 2016 the IRS closed four cases in which IRS employees were found to have violated a law governing their behavior toward taxpayers and that these violations included “harassing and abusing taxpayers and using obscene and profane language.”In 1998, Congress enacted a law imposing restrictions on the way that IRS employees could treat taxpayers.
As explained by the IG, this included a prohibition on an IRS employee contacting a taxpayer at “unusual or inconvenient times,” contacting the taxpayer directly if the taxpayer “has obtained representation from a person authorized to practice before the IRS,” or contacting the taxpayer at the “taxpayers place of employment, if the IRS knows or has reason to know that such communication is prohibited.”
Also, the IG said, “the IRS may not harass, oppress, or abuse any person in connection with any tax collection activity.”
This includes, among other things, a prohibition on the “use or threat of violence or harm,” “use of obscene or profane language,” “causing a phone to ring continuously with harassing intent,” and “placing of telephone calls without meaningful disclosure of the caller’s identity.”
The IG summarized the four cases involving IRS employees that the IRS closed in fiscal 2016.
“Two revenue officers contacted taxpayers directly without the required consent of the taxpayers’ power of attorney, one contact representative harassed or abused taxpayers, and one contact representative used obscene or profane language with taxpayers,” said the IG report, which was produced on Sept. 28, 2017 (https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2017reports/201710074fr.pdf).
“Administrative actions were taken by the IRS to address these violations: one revenue officer resigned in lieu of termination, one revenue officer received a 10-day suspension, one contact representative received a 10-day suspension, and one contact representative was admonished,” said the report.
The IG report also said the IRS lost track of 14 complaints of IRS employee misconduct that the IG had referred to the federal tax collection agency.
More at: https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/cnsnewscom-staff/inspector-general-irs-employees-found-harrassing-or-abusing-taxpayers
As explained by the IG, this included a prohibition on an IRS employee contacting a taxpayer at “unusual or inconvenient times,” contacting the taxpayer directly if the taxpayer “has obtained representation from a person authorized to practice before the IRS,” or contacting the taxpayer at the “taxpayers place of employment, if the IRS knows or has reason to know that such communication is prohibited.”
Also, the IG said, “the IRS may not harass, oppress, or abuse any person in connection with any tax collection activity.”
This includes, among other things, a prohibition on the “use or threat of violence or harm,” “use of obscene or profane language,” “causing a phone to ring continuously with harassing intent,” and “placing of telephone calls without meaningful disclosure of the caller’s identity.”
The IG summarized the four cases involving IRS employees that the IRS closed in fiscal 2016.
“Two revenue officers contacted taxpayers directly without the required consent of the taxpayers’ power of attorney, one contact representative harassed or abused taxpayers, and one contact representative used obscene or profane language with taxpayers,” said the IG report, which was produced on Sept. 28, 2017 (https://www.treasury.gov/tigta/auditreports/2017reports/201710074fr.pdf).
“Administrative actions were taken by the IRS to address these violations: one revenue officer resigned in lieu of termination, one revenue officer received a 10-day suspension, one contact representative received a 10-day suspension, and one contact representative was admonished,” said the report.
The IG report also said the IRS lost track of 14 complaints of IRS employee misconduct that the IG had referred to the federal tax collection agency.
More at: https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/cnsnewscom-staff/inspector-general-irs-employees-found-harrassing-or-abusing-taxpayers