House Votes on Tax Day to Protect Americans from IRS Abuses

On Tax Day the House is taking on corrupt IRS officials by voting on a handful of quality bills, which would:

• prevent the IRS from taxing donations to non-profits as “gifts” (H.R. 1104),
• make it much easier to fire IRS employees like Lois Lerner who abuse their positions to target political groups (H.R. 709),
• provide transparency to investigations of wrongdoing by IRS officials (H.R. 1026),
• allow groups which are denied tax-exempt status to appeal their denial (H.R. 1314),
• establish a basic taxpayers’ bill of rights (H.R. 1152),
• prohibit IRS employees from using their personal email accounts for official business (H.R. 1152),
• expedite the ability of non-profit groups to secure 501(c)4 tax exempt status (H.R. 1295).

Together, these bills would help shield Americans from the growing incompetence and corruption within the IRS. In just the past few years, the IRS has been caught red-handed targeting conservative groups, they were forced to take back a regulation to stifle political free speech in c4 organizations, and they have proven completely unable to properly handle ObamaCare’s subsidies and mandates. The IRS is out of control.

That’s why this package of IRS reform bills is important. Representatives are taking the lead in assuring American citizens that the abuse of authority within the IRS will not be tolerated. These protections are basic enough that there should be no reason for lawmakers of either party to oppose them.

Congress is to be commended for working to rein in the IRS.