***. “My megarich friends and I have been coddled long enough by a billionaire-friendly Congress. It’s time for our government to get serious about shared sacrifice.” [Warren Buffett: “Please Tax Me. I Can Take It”; New York Times; 8/16/2011]
This post BEGINS to examine the CORRUPTION of the U.S. tax system. For much of its existence, the rich, connected, and corporations have sought to cheat on taxes. Like much else in post-1980 America, the corruption of “our” tax system has been driven by far-right ideologues, with much “encouragement” from the rich, and considerable help from a CORRUPT U.S. “supreme court” [legalized bribery]. Republicans are DOCUMENTED to have done most of this. Below are some excerpts of evidence explaining how the tax burden has been shifted on to ordinary citizens.
1] “The Republican tax plan would deliver a major benefit to the top 1 percent of Americans….Despite repeated promises from Republican lawmakers that the plan is designed to provide relief to the middle class, nearly 30 percent of taxpayers with incomes between $50,000 and $150,000 would see a tax increase….Meanwhile, the study found that 80 percent of the tax benefits would accrue to those in the top 12 percent.” [Carolyn Johnson: “Tax analysis: Tump plan gives little to middle”; Washington Post; 9/30/17]
2] “In 2027, 70 percent of middle-income taxpayers will get a tax hike. – but just 8 percent of those making more than $5 million will.” [Mother Jones; March-April, 2018]
3] “A report released March 24 projects that the IRS is set to lose over $500 billion in tax revenue over the next tax season as a result of actions taken by President Donald Trump and his top donor Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency group..” [ “Dispatches”; The Progressive Populist; April 15, 2025 ]
4] “Trump administration to slash IRS staffing in half” …..”a significant cut that could jeopardize the agency’s ability to complete its basic mission of collecting taxes….while corporations and rich Americans may face less scrutiny from the thinly staffed tax agency.” [Andrew Duehren; New York Times; 3/5/25]
***. “The only reason God put Republicans on earth is to cut taxes.” [President of Club for Growth Stephen Moore; “Realtime with Bill Maher”; HBO; 4/25/ 2003]
5]. “The Trump administration claims gutting federal agencies will save money, but cutting the IRS means the government collects less taxes….Economic studies have shown that for every dollar spent by the IRS, the agency returns between $5 and $12….A 2024 report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office found that the IRS found savings of $13,000 for every additional hour spent auditing the tax returns of very wealthy taxpayers..” The LB&I division, which has “the highest return on investment” was disproportionally going to be cut. [Andy Kroll: “How DOGE’s Cuts to the IRS Threaten to Cost More Than DOGE Will Ever Save”; The Progressive Populist; April 1, 2025]
6] “Emails Reveal Top IRS Lawyer Warned Trump Firings Were a “FRAUD” on the Courts”. [Andy Kroll; The Progressive Populist; April 15, 2025]
7] “The turn away from audits of big partnerships is part of the IRS’s broader chaos, which has been accompanied by a slew of tax giveaways to industry in Trump’s new term. Big companies are benefitting from the gutting of regulations and the agency is pulling back from a crackdown on various shelters.” [ Jesse Drucker” “Push to audit private equity and venture capital falters”; New York Times; 1/1/26 ]
***. “Taxes: Making sure that the poor and middle-class pay their fair share of corporate handouts. “Tax Relief: “Relieving major corporations of any tax burden whatsoever so that they may reinvest their earnings in larger compensation packages for their CEO’s.” { “The Real Republican Dictionary” ]
8] “A team of academic economists and IRS researchers in 2021 found that the top 1% of U.S. income earners fail to report more than 20% of their earnings to the IRS.” [ Fatima Hussein: “IRS touts audits of rich tax dodgers”; Associated Press; 7/15/23 ]
9] ‘..a new study finds that at least 55 of America’s largest companies paid no U.S. taxes last year on billions of dollars in profits….Many also received millions of dollars in tax rebates.” [ Patrica Cohen: “At least 55 firms paid no U.s. taxes in 2020’; New York Times; 9/4/21 ]
10] “Firms move HQ overseas then exploit tax loophole”. [ Steven D. Solomon; New York Times; 2/15/16 ]
***. “Nothing is more important in the face of war than cutting taxes.” [ Republican Rep. Tom Delay; 3/12/2003 ]
11]. !!!!!!!! READ. THIS – AND GET ANGRY. “The United states is losing approximately $1 trillion in unpaid taxes every year, Charles Rettig, the Internal Revenue Service commissioner, estimated Tuesday, arguing that the agency lacks the resources to catch tax cheats….Most of the unpaid taxes are the result of evasion by the wealthy and large corporations, Rettig said.” [ Alan Rappeport; New York Times; 4/14/ 21 ]. [NOTE; this is the yearly debt interest payment !!!!! ]
12]. “Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo said the IRS hopes to increase audit rates on wealthy individuals to 2011 levels, before congressional Republicans slashed its budget for five consecutive years.” [ Jacob Bogage: “IRS aims for more audits of rich”; Washington Post Weekly; 4/9/23 ]
13]. “IRS to cut estate examiners. Bush administration to fire 157 lawyers, 17 others who audit wealthiest filers” [ David Cay Johnston; New York Times; 7/23/2006 ]
***. “The tax system is becoming a tool to turn the American dream of prosperity and reward for hard work into an impossible goal for tens of millions of Americans and into a nightmare for many others. Our tax system is being used to create a nation with fewer stable jobs and less secure retirement income. The tax system is being used by the rich, through their allies in Congress, to shift risks off themselves and unto everyone else. And perhaps worst of all, our tax system now forces most Americans to subsidize the lifestyles of the very rich, who enjoy the benefits of our democracy without paying their fair share of its price.” [ Double Pulitzer Prize winner David Cay Johnston: “Perfectly Legal” ]
With Justice For All 