IRS Chief: Taxpayers To Begin Feeling Sequester Pinch

Acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller stated recently, that taxpayers will soon start feeling the effects of the Sequester now that the tax season has ended.  Deep cuts to IRS Staffing will impact taxpayers calling the IRS, as well as the agency’s ability to combat fraud and collect tax revenues.

Treasury secretary Jacob Lew also chimed in by saying that for every $1 dollar spent on IRS collection activities, $6 dollars are generated.  Therefore, cutting back on the ability for the IRS to collect revenues would be short-sighted to say the least.  Miller Said:

“Without a change in the current budget environment, the American people will see erosion in our ability to serve them, and the federal government will see fewer receipts from our enforcement efforts…”

Mandatory furloughs for IRS works have already been put into effect as well.  While there was early hope that Republicans & Democrats would come together to avoid what many are describing as “self-inflicted” wounds, that prospect has dimmed significantly since we fell off the “fiscal cliff”.  Democrats are adamant about including revenues and spending on projects such as infrastructure & early education, while Republicans are standing firm about extracting just cuts.  Unfortunately for the G.O.P., this “cuts only” policy is starting to show it’s negative effects on our fragile recovery.  With the extreme austerity measures being taken in the E.U., the evidence has shown that it has hampered–not improved–growth.  

After two years in which President Obama and Republicans in Congress have fought to a draw over their clashing approaches to job creation and budget deficits, the consensus about the result is clear: Immediate deficit reduction is a drag on full economic recovery.

According to economists, the unemployment rate would be 1 point lower (6.5%) and U.S. economic growth would be almost 2 point higher, had congress not cut spending and did not let the payroll tax cuts for Social Security expire.