Renzo Downey
The IRS Eagle is flipping the bird to the American public, says Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Florida’s Republican Governor had strong words for Democrats in Washington, who outlined plans for 87,000 new IRS employees as part of the Inflation Reduction Act President Joe Biden signed Tuesday. DeSantis says Washington is “going after you.”
“Of all the things that have come out of Washington that have been outrageous, this has got to be pretty close to the top,” DeSantis said. “I think it was basically just the middle finger to the American public, that this is what they think of you.”
According to the Governor, who is considered a contender for the 2024 presidential nomination, the expanded IRS won’t go after billionaires, who have teams of accountants and lawyers.
“They are going to go after independent contractors, they’re going to go after small business people, they’re going to go after someone that may be driving an Uber or a handyman or all these things,” DeSantis added Wednesday. “Why would they do that? Because you’re not going to be able to contend with the audit, so they’re going to crush a lot of people by doing that.”
The IRS expansion is slated to take place over the next 10 years and isn’t reserved for IRS agents — in the Al Capone sense. In a statement on Tuesday, IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said the new resources will allow the agency to provide additional services to taxpayers.
“The IRS has struggled for many years with insufficient resources to fulfill our important mission,” Rettig said. “During the next 10 years, these funds will help us in many areas, including adding critical resources to not just close the tax gap but meaningfully improve taxpayer service and technology.”
However, Biden’s critics have likened the planned expansion to a private army that will hunt down political adversaries. Republicans’ distrust in the IRS has only been strengthened in recent years after the agency scrutinized conservative groups, for which the IRS has apologized.
It’s not the first time this month that DeSantis has criticized the move. In a tweet after Florida Politics broke the news that the FBI served a search warrant at former President Donald Trump‘s Mar-a-Lago last week, the Governor linked the two events.
“Now the Regime is getting another 87k IRS agents to wield against its adversaries? Banana Republic,” DeSantis wrote.
Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Jimmy Patronis, has also criticized the IRS growth. Biden’s signature “supercharges” the IRS to “shakedown” the average American, he said in a statement.
“An expansion of the IRS? No one asked for this,” Patronis wrote. “It will target Florida. He should have just stayed on vacation.”
Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, who previously served as Governor, warned job-seekers Tuesday against applying for “Biden’s IRS Army,” saying they won’t provide long-term job stability, as Republicans are looking to axe the positions. He has also previously said revamping the agency will lead to more “snooping” on the middle class.
DeSantis also noted there will be more employees in the IRS than in several other agencies combined.
“They’re not putting very much money down at the border, I can tell you that right now,” DeSantis said, “but they want to be able to do it and unleash them on American taxpayers. That’s wrong.”
42 comments
Joe Corsin
August 17, 2022 at 11:59 am
Too many GOP hogs not paying taxes or caring if others do is the problem. The tax cuts were a disaster…an over active IRS is the fallout. Thanks Trump…for the Trump Virus, Trumpflation, and Trump terrorists.
Impeach Biden
August 17, 2022 at 7:11 pm
Corsin, The “Hitler” youth IRS gestapo army is coming for you, if you actually have a job. Better tell mom and dad to get their papers in order as your Wi-Fi access might get cut off if the IRS militia take your folks away.
Joe Corsin
August 17, 2022 at 7:49 pm
^ This idiot is in here more than anyone yet talking about how others don’t work? Also just doesn’t make much sense..just spewing nonsense out of his bung hole so probably mentally disabled. How much lucrative work could one possibly do with such a mind😆
Randy Kolosso
August 17, 2022 at 7:47 pm
To Joe Corsin: Joe, I sure wish we had the 2% Trumpflation instead of the 9% Bidenflation. It seems to me that everything a Democrat messes things up as a lot of Biden’s initial “Legislation via Pen” did (as in shut down oil pipelines), the Democrats then try to blame Republicans for their mess. On the other hand, if the Democrates inherit good economies and relatively low unemployment numbers, they (Democrats) are out giving speeches 2 months after taking office congratulating themselves on the great job they are doing. I am sorry Joe, we didn’t have an inflation problem under Trump, we did have many, many lower income people benefit greatly from the Trump tax cuts and, finally, I do believe the consensus is that Covid-19 did in fact come from Wuhan China. Maybe Hunter Biden or California congressman Swalwell can help you out with the Covid-19 facts as they have a lot of connections to China.
Joe Corsin
August 17, 2022 at 7:56 pm
Yeah with the world oil market in play..I’m sure a pipeline shutdown caused the problem 🤡 I’m also sure coronavirus had absolutely nothing to do with prices/demand being so low 🤡 And I’m sure inflation starts just because one man gets out of a chair and another man sits down 🤡 I’m sure inflation is not a problem globally as well 🤡 Sorry the Dems can’t clean up Republican messes fast enough like Obama had to. Trump inherited a good economy because of Obama but he sat on his balls and cheered while it overheated. Now Biden hasn’t cleaned up the mess fast enough so it’s all his fault 🤡
Randy Kolosso
August 17, 2022 at 8:33 pm
I would love to debate your comments with facts, such as going from a net oil exporting country under Trump to a net importer of oil after Biden’s Executive Orders regarding oil production on government leases and the oil pipelines which caused that rapid transition to being a net importer of oil. Also, Biden tried to blame oil companies for not drilling on government leases while seemingly forgetting his executive order against new drilling. You can have an oil lease but without drilling permits they can’t drill. Oh, by the way, those mom and pop gas stations are to blame for higher gas prices as stated by Joe Biden. I think the new IRS auditors will be going after those evil mom and pop gas stations to recoup the price gouging they were engaged in. As is the case with most sound bites, the issues are more complex than the sound bite implies and you have fallen into that trap.
Joe Corsin
August 17, 2022 at 9:17 pm
Oil companies making huge profits off unregulated industry and neverending roller coaster capitalism is the problem. Republicans will be the last ones to do anything about that. Nationalized oil and gas, and throw in utilities, will make things a lot better. THEN you can blame the government and vote people out who aren’t solving energy problems.
Randy Kolosso
August 17, 2022 at 10:21 pm
Joe, excellent reply on my last post. Rather than answer facts you jump right to becoming Venezuela by nationalizing the oil and gas industry. I have an idea to alleviate tax revenue problems facing the USA and it follows your line of reasoning regarding the oil and gas industry. Why stop there? We need to nationalize Apple, Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway (hundreds of companies and quite alot of railroad properties), Google, Meta Platforms (Facebook), BP, Exxon/Mobil, Bank of America, Citibank, Capitol One, GM and Chrysler Group (again) , Ford, Dell, AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobil, New York Times, Washington Post, Amazon, Tesla, Citgo (only US as Venezuela already did it), and ,oh heck, just nationalize all companies operating in the US. Oh, by the way, that means stockholders get nothing and bond holders get nothing. And poof, the US is worth 40 – 50 Trillion Dollars. As for that pesky US debt, print a bunch of $100 bills and pay it all off, which would be really cheap to do after the US hits hyper-inflation of 200% to 300% monthly. No US workers get paid for working, no US citizen pays taxes, we all just get in line for whatever the government gives us ordinary folk.
That looks like your dream economy.
Joe Corsin
August 17, 2022 at 10:56 pm
I stopped reading your post when I saw “Venezuela.” That is more authoritarian socialism…not true democratic socialism. Just like Russian elections aren’t like American elections. Nationalized oil and gas industry doesn’t mean all industry will be nationalized like some slippery slope. You added the slippery slope and introduced fallacies into the discussion to serve your own interests. Norway had nationalized oil industry and it did wonders so don’t hand me that Venezuela crap. There are plenty of MIXED ECONOMIES that do well and provide for people and you know it. And those countries aren’t on a slippery slope to communism either so don’t even try it. It’s bullsht and you know it .. right wing bullshit.
Joe
August 18, 2022 at 7:42 am
I stopped reading your post when I saw “Venezuela.” That is more authoritarian socialism…not true democratic socialism. Just like Russian elections aren’t like American elections. Nationalized oil and gas industry doesn’t mean all industry will be nationalized like some slippery slope. You added the slippery slope and introduced fallacies into the discussion to serve your own interests. Norway had nationalized oil industry and it did wonders so don’t hand me that Venezuela crap. There are plenty of MIXED ECONOMIES that do well and provide for people and you know it. And those countries aren’t on a slippery slope to communism either so don’t even try it. It’s BS and you know it .. right wing BS.
Elliott Offen
August 18, 2022 at 10:40 am
You’ve clearly presented slippery slope fallacies and tried to obfuscate the fact that there is a difference between authoritarian socialism and more successful models throughout Europe and the Nordic countries. I see what you’ve done there!!!!😆
Don Tobias
August 20, 2022 at 5:17 pm
Randy got it pegged! This guy Carson cannot tell the difference in shit or Shinola! It is absolutely pathetic! He could only do this, as a paid political hack! The only other explanation is that he is quite insane! In any event he’s not worth listening to!
SteveHC
August 17, 2022 at 12:02 pm
Sure looks like Florida’s wealthiest Republican politicians think they should continue to be allowed to pay nearly ZERO $$ in federal taxes. Am not surprised; it’s why Republican administrations haveconsistently and deliberately gutted the IRS even though it caused such a large-scale mess for so many LOWER-income taxpayers.
Don’t Look Up
August 17, 2022 at 12:45 pm
ALL Americans need to pay their fair share of taxes. The NYT referenced the future ten year Federal Government investigations of COVID business relief fraud. The government has already identified hundreds of millions of dollars of individual and business fraud…. with more to come.
If Americans want women to control their own bodies, qualified teachers to replace DeSantis’s culture wars in classrooms, intelligent teacher-student conversations concerning the social issues facing Americans in the 21st century, non-bullying discussion about classroom students who are different, common sense gun regulations, and a new honest approach on how best to address climate change……AMERICANS MUST VOTE ALL REPUBLICANS OUT OF OFFICE. REPUBLICANS ARE AMERICA’S PROBLEM.
PeterH
August 17, 2022 at 12:50 pm
Fun Fact:
When grifter wealthy Americans avoid paying taxes ….. the middle class picks up the tab.
Elliott Offen
August 17, 2022 at 8:00 pm
Thank you!!!! And the stupid right wing propaganda keeps those people voting for the party of the rich. Dems and GOP politicians might be rich themselves but at least the Dems do something for ordinary people. GOP does nothing for anyone but the rich.
Tom
August 17, 2022 at 1:40 pm
87,000 new.
$80 million appropriated.
Lois Lerner example, hmm.
Bill
August 17, 2022 at 2:24 pm
So people who pay taxes are now political adversaries? This guy needs to have his head removed from his backside. All this culture war nonsense is becoming too stupid for words.
tjb
August 17, 2022 at 2:59 pm
Do people understand that the 87,000 NEW employees is over a ten-year period? Many of the 87,000 will be REPLACING current IRS employees that are retiring or leaving the IRS.
The narrative that the IRS is going after middle-class citizens is mostly false. The focus is on the folks reporting $400,000 plus a year in income. For the past two decades, the IRS has not had the resources to audit the really big cheaters that are ripping off American citizens by not paying their share of taxes.
Randy Kolosso
August 17, 2022 at 8:09 pm
To tjb: besides the fact that you leave your name off, your statement shows your complete ignorance of the workings of the IRS. Most audits are on people making way less than &400k a year. My experience is with people being audited and making less than $80k a year. There are only a small number of people making over $400k per year and at 1.8 million or so audits currently done annually, you run out of those $400k per year earners very fast. And let’s talk about the federal tax law a moment. It should be very troubling to the average taxpayer when several large accounting firms can take the same information on a rather modest income level of around $80k plus other facts and circumstances and most of the returns come up with different amounts of tax to be paid for that fictitious taxpayer. Also, the stated goal of 87,000 new IRS agents, from the mouths of Democrats, is to actually increase the auditing done, i.e. more audits than 1.8 million currently. And by the way, the IRS currently has the ability to audit every taxpayer making more than $400k per year and the top 500 companies. It seems the only way to perform more audits is to hit the middle-class making $50k to $100k per year. But, alas, facts sometimes don’t follow rhetoric as is the case with you.
tjb
August 19, 2022 at 11:07 am
Randy,
HAVE YOU READ THE PLAN FOR THE EXPANSION?
You are vomiting the BS from the fake news on the right. You are creating a fake narrative regarding how the expansion will be put in place.
I believe that you are a tax preparer — thus you must be concerned that your clients will be audited and the IRS may find issues with your tax preparations.
These are audits that were not performed previously, because the IRS was short-staffed.
Also, I do use my name, because of the death threats that the far right nuts are sending to the FBI, IRS, and Election officials .
Randy Kolosso
August 19, 2022 at 3:41 pm
I guess we will have to fact check whether “no one making less than $400,000 per year will be audited”.
According to the IRS, in the IRS fact book for 2019, about 157,952,000 individual tax return were filed. People earning $500,000 or more (the IRS does not have a $400,000 tier in its data) filed about 1,926,000 tax returns. The IRS audited about 343,000 individual tax returns. Of that number of audits, about 8,200 were of taxpayers making $500,000 or more per year. So, the IRS audited lower income earner tax returns over 4,400% more than those high earner returns.
The IRS audited 4,350 returns out of 640,000 returns filed of people making more than $1,000,000 per year. Of those 4,350 audits, only 665 returns resulted in no change to the return and they increased the taxes owed by those ultra-rich by $28 million dollars. In contrast, on the tax returns filed by people earning $1 to $25,000 per year, the IRS audited 184,000 tax returns and increased taxes owed by $707 million.
Seems to me the IRS audits way more middle class returns, on a percentage basis, than they do of the ultra-rich. And from a revenue generation basis, going after the ultra-rich does not result in wildly high increases in tax owed. To think the federal government will add thousands of auditors and not increase audits on people making less than $400,000 per year would be the worst business decision they could make because the “real money” is found in audits of people making less than $400,000 per year.
And I will tell you right now that if you, tjb, file a tax return with more than just having a W-2, there is more than a 50-50 chance that even I could find you did not pay “your fair share” of income taxes. That’s how convoluted our tax laws are.
So, in closing, you are drinking the kool-aid of the liberal spin and refuse to let facts change your mind.
Just so you know, I am not Republican or Democrat and I look at facts or find the FACTS to compare to the spin by either party to figure out if the rhetoric follows fact or is pandering to people who are blissfully ignorant.
You should do the same.
tjb
August 19, 2022 at 4:54 pm
Again, have you read the IRS plan for the next ten years? Briefly, it is about their future enforcement policies and the upgrading of their infrastructure … and you are giving me examples/facts from the past.
It is interesting that you are giving me 2019 stats.
Was that the administration giving the ultra-wealthy and millionaires huge(the 5 and 1%’er) tax breaks and opportunities not afforded to the middle-class?
Also, yes there are folks making less than $400,000 who will be audited if they are seriously cheating on their taxes–
And not to disappoint you, I actually pay a fair share on taxes. I don’t like to be a cheater … what about you?
Tom
August 17, 2022 at 4:21 pm
I have a typo, error as it’s $87 billion. I repeat billion.
Just a joke of a party. And they will be armed.
Only you tjb believe that bull on over $400,000.
Joe Corsin
August 17, 2022 at 7:14 pm
^ Poo poo…full of poo poo.
Don Tobias
August 20, 2022 at 5:24 pm
Yeah you’re right Tom! The whole problem really is that we are arguing a point with a group a condensed group of true Believers! They don’t understand, and never will because they have a fixed solid mindset of stupidity! They couldn’t think their way out of a paper bag and so they believe anything the Biden regime attempts to spew! I’m afraid they’ll always be a bunch like this actually brain dead
Chip Wyser
August 17, 2022 at 4:50 pm
Facts matter! “If you make less than $400,000 per year, there won’t b more audits!”
The IRS budget has been cut dramatically over the past decade. They need new tech, and more people.
The tax gap — the difference between taxes owed and taxes paid — is large and growing. https://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-tax/the-need-to-rebuild-the-depleted-irs
Randy Kolosso
August 17, 2022 at 8:54 pm
Chip, a problem I have with stating tax payments are way less than tax owed assumes facts not in evidence. To come to this conclusion you have to decide that most taxpayers, including YOU, are tax cheats who don’t pay the amounts that should be paid. Then you can come to the conclusion that a huge gap exists between tax payments made and tax payments not made. I happen to know of a huge tax gap Democrats have no interest in addressing. Illegal aliens are not permitted to work in the USA. They don’t have a social security number or taxpayer ID number so they don’t file tax returns on income earned. THERE is your opportunity to close the tax gap but it doesn’t seem anyone, Democrats or Republicans, are interested in addressing this. (Not a debate on illegal immigration, just a fact concerning income taxes.) And if you think they do pay taxes, then I just wasted my time as you are living in some la-la land and are lacking the ability to look at facts and analyze them objectively. I hope I didn’t use too many “big words” for you. (That last sentance is sarcasm, by the way.) 🙂
Joe Corsin
August 18, 2022 at 8:14 am
I stopped reading your other post when I saw “Venezuela.” That is more authoritarian socialism…not true democratic socialism. Just like Russian elections aren’t like American elections. Nationalized oil and gas industry doesn’t mean all industry will be nationalized like some slippery slope. You added the slippery slope and introduced fallacies into the discussion to serve your own interests. Norway had nationalized oil industry and it did wonders so don’t hand me that Venezuela crap. There are plenty of MIXED ECONOMIES that do well and provide for people and you know it. And those countries aren’t on a slippery slope to communism either so don’t even try it. It’s bs and you know it .. right wing bs.
Jennie
August 19, 2022 at 2:51 pm
You are so right or should I say correct but facts get in the way of Democrats arguments they don’t want to hear them
Just a comment
August 17, 2022 at 7:14 pm
All though this was his election speech
I think he is secretly making jobs for all those new graduates.
David in Shoreline
August 17, 2022 at 9:55 pm
America’s Governor Ron DeSantis on the right side of yet another issue. Standing up to the incompetent tyrants in the White House.
Joe Corsin
August 17, 2022 at 10:06 pm
When DeSantis says, ” Washington is going after you” he doesn’t mean David in Shoreline. You don’t have a pot to piss in compared to the people he’s really talking to. To the GOP, only your stupidity in thinking otherwise is valuable. Simply put, they are taking to the only people who matter to them…the rich. You don’t mean poo poo to them when all is said and done but if you want to fantasize then that’s great for the GOP and the rich. Thanks for your sentimental contribution 😆
woke and proud
August 18, 2022 at 8:18 am
Rona and Jimmy- Way to go with more fear mongering and spreading mistrust of our Nation!
As Keller says: FU you CS MFs. Our elected representatives in Congress passed a law and our President signed it. We are a Nation of laws. There are laws on paying taxes to fund our government. Of course there needs to be an audit system in place to ensure that taxes owed are paid. Of course, staff and other resources are necessary for audits. Ask yourself, how many audits has the IRS been doing? Is it cost effective for the IRS to audit Joe or Jane Lunchbox? Of course not. Are more wealthy tax cheats going to be caught? Yes. Why is our Governor saying such foolish and hateful things about our Federal Government? What is his motivation? Why doesn’t he focus on working to solve Floridians’ problems? I will be he will be begging for Federal disaster assistance when a major tropical cyclone hits Florida within the next two months. Our property insurance has been socialized with Citizens Property Insurance and Rona isn’t working on solving that issue. Too busy shooting off his big mouth , trash talking America. FU you CS MF!
FLLLl
August 18, 2022 at 8:36 am
Once again GOP cries victim for being targeted. Perhaps the odds of being a tax fraud are just ten times higher for republicans. Perhaps the entire party proudly boasts about cheating the government and causing the middle class to make up the difference. I though they all believed in profiling based on stereotypes what happened? Ron and Rick sound like they have something big to hide. But the richest man in congress and the Ivy League bully are only here to protect us working class folks. Give me a break.
so woke to Rona
August 18, 2022 at 1:13 pm
Shoreline, thanks for the belly laugh! “America’s Governor” reminds me of Rudy, “America’s Mayor” – likely the same GOP consultant is milking the public consciousness. No doubt, Rona will end up like Rudy, the butt of jokes, disgraced, judicially sanctioned, disbarred, under criminal investigation. All that’s missing is dripping hair dye, farting in Court and a press conference at the Four Seasons Total Landscaping. As a Florida taxpayer, I don’t need a Governor who is constantly flying out of State whoring for Election Deniers, bitching about our Federal Government in Fix Entertainment, and generally showing how “presidential” he thinks he is. What a pathetic excuse for an elected official Rona is. He doesn’t even know what “woke” means. Start filling up sandbags Rona, a major tropical cyclone is coming soon.
Tom
August 19, 2022 at 8:56 am
Sounds like rass my ass!
Total disillusion from woke a joke rona moniker.
America’s Greatest Gov, the whiz kid, whizzing on you openly. Enjoy the stench, who you got nikki fraud or chameleon. LMAO.
Super house majority, legislature.
GOP sweep, Gov, Marco otters!
Randy Kolosso
August 19, 2022 at 8:33 pm
TJB: 2019 is the most recent year the IRS has published the type of data I quoted. Nothing I can do about that.
Yes I reviewed the IRS Strategic Plan and it is mostly a descriptor of goals and not a guide to the number of when additional IRS Agents will be hired. Further, ongoing budgets are where replacements for retiring personnel come from. Congress does not have to appropriate money every year to replenish the workforce because someone retired or quit. The $87 Billion is MOSTLY for additional enforcement and that is where new auditors come into play. Probably too little was directed to modernization, especially their computer systems. No, the IRS or any other government agency is restricted by what CONGRESS says regardless of “strategic plans”. If congress says spend $5 Billion on computer modernization the agencies CAN NOT decide new office furniture is a better use of the money.
The LAW allocates over $45 billion dollars for ADDITIONAL ENFORCEMENT activities above and beyond what is spent already. Did you bother to read the LAW? Further, the strategic plan was written before the law was passed.
Funny how you jump to questioning if I “cheat” on my taxes. Hmmmm. I don’t need to cheat on my taxes but I would worry about you cheating, even if it is an error because you misunderstood exactly what the law means because you seem to have difficulty understanding what laws mean – case in point is the Inflation Reduction Act. Did YOU read that law? The IRS can strategically plan all they want, read the law to see what they HAVE to do.
tjb
August 24, 2022 at 11:28 am
What are you afraid of Randy? Perhaps the IRS should be auditing your clients. Also, I don’t cheat on my taxes, I have a honest tax accounts.
Randy Just Schooled You
August 24, 2022 at 12:00 pm
It appears you have fallen into personal attacks when you have no facts to support your opinions. As I only wished to open your eyes to facts, but your inability to accept truth backed up with facts is so threatening to you so you attack me by calling me a tax cheat. When you have no facts and the truth is given to you, personal attacks are all you can come up with? It really looks like projection of your fears to me.
Oh well. I feel sorry for you.
Pancho Villar
August 24, 2022 at 3:43 pm
I think only tax cheats should really be worried. I do my taxes like every person should . . . honestly.
Matthew Lusk
August 25, 2022 at 11:37 am
So were is the bill to sunset the personal income tax? Crickets from Congress.
Comments are closed.