Internal Revenue Service Crimes Against the People
by Peter Sears
First and Foremost, I want to give credit where credit is due. A good chunk
of the factual material for this piece comes directly from a book by a
former Congressman from Idaho,by the name of George Hansen.
the name of the book is "To harass our people. The I.R.S. and the
government abuse of power." It's a very good and very frightening read
I urge you to look for it.
Sobering Facts
Yeah,things are pretty gray and grim in the World of Insufficient light,
and an I.R.S. audit may not seem like it's a particularly threatening thing
in the face of Technocrats,Marauders,and Nephandi.(oh my.)
But,quite frankly, The Internal Revenue Service is scary enough
in real life because:
- Only the I.R.S can attach 100% of a tax debtor's wages and/or
property.
- Only the I.R.S can invade the privacy of a citizen without court
process of any kind.
- Only the I.R.S can seize property without a court order.
- Only the I.R.S can force a citizen to try his case in a special
court governed by the I.R.S.
- Only the I.R.S can compel the production of
documents,records,and other materials without a court case being in existence.
- Only the I.R.S can with impunity publish the details of a citizens debt.
- Only the I.R.S can legally, without a court order, subject citizens
to electronic surveillance.
- Only the I.R.S can force waiver of statute of limitations and
other citizen's rights through the threat of Arbitrary assesment.
- Only the I.R.S uses extralegal coercion. threats to witnesses to
examine their taxes their taxes regularly produces whatever evidence the
I.R.S. dictates.
- Only the I.R.S is free to violate a written agreement with a citizen.
- Only the I.R.S uses reprisals against citizen and public officials alike.
- Only the I.R.S can take property on the basis of conjecture.
- Only the I.R.S is free to maintain lists of citizen guilty of no crime
for the purpose of harassing and monitoring them.
- Only the I.R.S envelops all citizens.
- Only the I.R.S publicly admits that it's purpose is to instill fear in the
citizenry as a technique of performing it's function.
- Only the I.R.S pursues harsh reprisals against it's own employees who
show any signs of a conscience.
- Only the I.R.S continually harasses religious institutions.(don't
believe me? go find a Scientologist,or a Mormon,or a 7th day
Adventist and talk to them.)
- Only the I.R.S is exempt from portions of the Fair debt
collection practices act.
- Only the I.R.S considers bankrupting a business as the best
way to collect on it's debt. ( when assets are liquidated,The I.R.S. is
the first to receive payment. And tax debts are exempt from debt
forgiveness under the Bankruptcy laws.
- The Tax court is regulated by a special branch of civil law which
contrary to all western legal tradition denies the citizen not only
his right to a jury but also his rights to appeal to a higher court of
law. If he refuses to pay the amount assessed by the tax court he is
hauled off to a criminal proceeding as refusal to pay is felony.
- Odds are fairly good that the Tax Court Judge is a former
employee of the I.R.S.
And this is just in the real world....Are you frightened yet? Do I
have your attention yet? Granted,Hansen's book was published in
1984 and there has been an effort to curb the abuse of power.
President Clinton has even signed a law that creates an office of the
Taxpayer Advocacy that gives taxpayers a bit more leverage when dealing
with the I.R.S.
But,that was last week.
You are still guilty until proven innocent.
And this is the World of Darkness...
Scenario One:
The protagonists arrive at the Chantry/haven/caern/Freehold or
what have you. Only to discover that the I.R.S. has seized it
pursuant to an investigation.(you are to attend a hearing in 90 days)
and has fenced it off.
Granted, a bit a of chainlink is not going to stop a supernatural,
but if you do enter your property. that's not a misdemeanor trespassing charge,
that is a federal offense. Also the Cabal discovers that their mutually held
assets have all been seized. Better hope you have family that you
can live with during this crisis. Forget about living or fighting the
technocracy. you've got to hire a tax lawyer,a C.P.A, and find all your damn
records for the last 5 years.
At the hearing,your perfectly reasonable and documentable deductions
are disallowed out of hand... the Auditor is willing to offer you a deal...
you can be given time to make more of a case in exchange for a
signed waiver of Statute of limitations.( this means that they will be able
to look beyond your last 5 years of tax records say 20 or 30 years for an
extended fishing expedition into your finances.) If you don't
sign,they can and will make an arbitrary assesment of your tax debt
on the spot.
The I.R.S. can take as little time or as much time as they
need.Their attitude is that it all comes out in the wash eventually so
you are not hurt.
Suppose that you have a number of critical investments up in the
air and you have your assets seized for 6 months. Not only do you have
The I.R.S. breathing down your neck but your creditors will want
their money while your assets sit idle. They WILL shut down your
business to get their money.
Components of the I.R.S.
1) Taxpayer Service and Returns Processing.
this is the part that most taxpayers are familiar with. These folks are
most often the front office staff members in every local I.R.S. office.
they provide answers to basic questions about income tax and
distribute manuals,leaflets,forms,etc. Returns Processing is a
function generally handled at the regional service center.This is
where the forms and the checks go.
2) Examination.
This is the area of the I.R.S. charged with auditing taxpayers.The
numbers of returns audited is rising steadily, " to insure a high
degree of Voluntary Compliance."
3) Collection.
These are the folks who seize property and wealth or harass the
taxpayer until he succumbs and makes payment.
4)Criminal investigation.
The I.R.S. has created it's own hit team composed of over 3000 agents
to deal with those taxpayers engaged in apparently illegal activities
and other citizen who might have the courage to stand up for their
rights. against arbitrary assessments and unacceptable collections
practices.
(in addition, the I.R.S. has the power to enlist federal marshals and F.B.I
agents in its various projects. It should be noted that some of these
special agents are involved in the I.R.S. special enforcement program
which works with other federal agencies in task forces against
organized crime and and drug trafficking.( go ask the Vampire
Cappone about these guys.) However,a majority of I.R.S. special
agents work in the area of General Enforcement. This means
assignment to a local office often to intimidate citizens into paying.
5) data services.
Perhaps the most ominous and pervasive element of the I.R.S. is it's
computer and data-collection system. I.R.S. uses not one but 8
complete computer systems. and 3 microfilm systems to process the
master files on over 115 million people in the united states. They
also have extensive files on 25 million business accounts. They
also keep voluminous document file on "suspicious people"
including news clippings,police reports,court proceedings,personal
correspondence,and surveillance materials. much of this
material,other agencies are now prohibited from
collecting.
( note to the interested Virtual Adept. Cracking this system is not
going to be a piece of cake. I.R.S. might have access to N.S.A.
encryption schemes.
plus the complexity and Huge-osity of the system might make it
proof against finding anything. However, those that do break in and
manage to do it undiscovered might be able alter records and it
might never get noticed.)
Scenario 2:
O.K. Let's say for the sake of argument, you went in and had
ironclad documentation.was arbitrarily assessed, and took it to tax
court and by some miracle won.... Plan to be audited this year and
for every year afterward. O.K. maybe you can deal with that...
Then they start coming around and asking your friends,family and
neighbors about you and your finances. Hey! guess what happens if
they don't cooperate? They get audited too.
Appeal to the media? fat chance. Every media is a business,every
reporter a taxpayer. Appeal to your elected officials? well...
The I.R.S. once audited the entire Pennsylvania general
assembly. all 250 members, for over a year. ( I couldn't make this shit up.)
Congressman Hansen's own political career was almost halted by the I.R.S
"investigating" his taxes during an election year. they even leaked
inaccuracies about his returns to his opponent.( I don't normally respect
congress-people, but I have to hand it to George Hansen, he didn't
back off.)
Scenario 3:
You get put on their Violence List. This is a list that they deny keeping but
could result from difficult audit or roughing up an agent. perhaps
you just parked your car at a anti-tax rally and they were taking
down license plates.
A violence list gives the I.R.S license to institute armed
searches, send out S.W.A.T. teams and provoke dangerous confrontations.
So what's really going on?
Granted, Court rooms and C.P.A's do not a gripping Chronicle
make.So where does the World of Dimness fit in?
Contrary to popular myth, The I.R.S. was not founded by the Technocracy.
it was founded by normal sleeping folks who needed a way to pay
the expenses of running this country of ours. Only in the last 40
years has it been a tool of the Watchers. The N.W.O. has used it
with ruthless efficiency against mages,garou,vampires,changelings,Media,
congressmen, heck even a Syndicate mage or two.
Does this mean that every other collections agent is a Man in
Black? Heck No! The Watchers are spread much too thin for that. There
are maybe 20 Watcher mages all told in the I.R.S. Over half of these are
involved in Data Services.( analysts who figure out who might be
supernatural,Sysops and data security specialists. and suchlike.)
Seven other mages see to the administration of the 7 geographical
areas of the I.R.S.'s regional offices. while the last 3 deal with the
management of the national office. They do have a detachment of Operatives and
Mibs. that can be scrambled from Washington for emergencies and
special occasions.
Scenario 4:
Most of you are players of Mage but I'm sure you can see how this
can relate to almost every thing(with the possible exception of
Wraith.)
- undead immortal people with lots of money have a lot to lose
especially when the audit is set for 10 am
- large part-time furry people have little money for lawyers and/or
poor temper control.
- Kithain go into I.R.S. offices...but they never come out.never.
How they Get you:
- Most contact with the I.R.S. is indirect. by mail or by phone.
(it's hard to affect someone with magick if you've never seen them.)
- When you do meet with them.it's on their terms,at their
convenience. You have to go to them,and there is more of them than their is of
you. (by and large this means dealing with sleepers. Vulgar magick is
very risky in these environs. Watchers have installed field generators in every
office in America that provides 3 dice of countermagick against all mental
attacks.this also adds +3 to difficulties of other forms of mental
manipulation such as Staredown or Domination.) In each regional
office, the Watchers have gone to great lengths to install Paradox
Zones(see Sam Chupp's Angel of Mercy scenario in the first mage screen.) In
some cases, agents have had Paradox spirits bound to them without their
knowledge as a surprise for mages attempting to manipulate them.
- They will most likely seize your home and assets when you are
not around.( if you should happen to catch them at it they probably
are being backed by the local sheriff or Police dept. If you should
happen to catch them surveiling your place and chase them off or
try to stop the seizure
they will put you on their violence list. If you should happen to
rough up
one of their operatives. You will face criminal proceedings too.
- They will seize all assets they can get their hands on. (your
house,your car,garnishment of your wages,seizure of bank account
and/or any securities or bonds. If they follow you back to the
chantry building,they are going to want to know who owns that!
Hell, if they could legally go through your damn wallet they would.
Scenario 5:
the I.R.S. decides that you have hidden assets, and puts you under
24 hour surveillance. Not harmful in and of itself but it makes other
aspects of your life... awkward.
Scenario 6:
The I.R.S. decides to revoke the Tax-exempt status of your church,or coven,
or whatever. Court cases of this sort last for years.
The I.R.S is a subtle tool and blunt instrument both. The Watchers
use it carefully and rarely tip their own hand. Be wary, be careful
and save your receipts.
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