IRS cuts

Unfortunately something is in the air here in San Francisco and I’ve been feeling like shit all week. I feel sick, but it seems to be allergy related given my dry cough and that lots of others are also in the same boat. I can deal with a running nose and cough, but the fatigue and brain fog has been really rough on me. It’s not a fun time right now, but hopefully with some rest it’ll pass.

Another tax day has come and gone, and unfortunately this year was a lot more eventful. I just read that the Acting Commissioner of the IRS is stepping down. This is amidst mass layoffs at the agency.

As someone with a tax background, this is a concerning situation happening. I had spoken to a friend who works at a tax API startup, and she mentioned that there’s a sizable percentage difference of people who filed last year compared to this year. The assumption there is that people are waiting to see what happens at the IRS before they file their taxes.

If there is no enforcement, fraud will undoubtedly be rampant. I do not love the IRS and do believe there needs to be major overhauls, but simply firing half the department isn’t good for anyone except the fraudsters. I would understand the decision more if we had gone through a modernization process than eliminated the need for half the IRS, but that is definitely not the case here.