Introducing True The Vote

As the nation’s largest nonpartisan, voters’ rights and election integrity organization, True the Vote exists to inspire and equip volunteers for involvement at every stage of America’s electoral process. We provide training, technology, and support to fellow citizens so that they can ensure election integrity in their own communities.

You can learn more by Clicking HERE

Check out this post about them

True the Vote Wins Stunning Court Ruling Against IRS in Lois Lerner Scandal
Source: California Political Review
June 7, 2019
This decision marks the end of a nearly decade long battle that first began in 2010, when federal government agencies including the IRS, DOJ, FBI, ATF, OSHA weaponized against True the Vote and its founder, Catherine Engelbrecht. Under Obama Administration leadership, the agencies leveled a barrage of attacks, including twenty-three audits, investigations, and inquiries, against the group in an attempt to stop their work in election integrity. At one point the IRS got Child Services to try to take Ms. Engelbrechts’ children from her—this is how vicious Lerner and the crowd became, to stop honest elections. To stop those exposing the corruption of elections.

Read more...

Legislation to Establish Flat Tax Introduced

======


======

by: Senator, Richard C.Shelby (R-AL)

Washington, D.C. - April 17, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) re-introduced legislation to establish a flat tax on all income, known as the “Simplified, Manageable, and Responsible Tax (SMART) Act.” Since his election to the Senate in 1986, Senator Shelby has been a strong advocate for the flat tax, introducing legislation supporting it each Congress.

“Every year, Tax Day is a reminder to the American people that our nation’s tax code is complex, confusing, and costly,” said Senator Shelby. “The recent success of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is certainly progress, but if the SMART Act was in place now, taxpayers would file a return the size of a postcard, and every American would be taxed equally and at the same rate. I believe this legislation would result in an immediate tax cut for virtually all taxpayers, while also reducing the size, scope, and complexity of the IRS.”

The SMART Act establishes a flat income tax of 17 percent on all income. The only exception would be personal exemptions of:

$14,480 for a single person;

$18,490 for a head of a household;

$28,960 for a married couple filing jointly; and

$6,250 for each dependent.

These allowances would also be adjusted to the consumer price index in order to prevent inflation from raising our tax burden. To prevent the double-taxation of income, earnings from savings would not be included as taxable income, resulting in an immediate tax cut for virtually all hardworking taxpayers.

By closing loopholes for individuals and businesses, the SMART Act would create broad-based, lower tax rates that would give American individuals and businesses a competitive edge, create and retain jobs in the United States, and curb offshoring.

Legislation to Reform IRS Passes House of Representatives

by: Mike Kelly (R-PA, 3rd)

Washington, D.C. - April 10, 2019 - (The Ponder News) -- The House of Representatives passed H.R. 1957, the Taxpayer First Act, the first IRS reform legislation since 1998, which would recast IRS as a service-first agency to better serve American taxpayers. The bill, which passed unanimously, is now headed to the Senate for consideration.

Representatives Mike Kelly, R-Pa. and John Lewis, D-Ga. co-authored the legislation. Kelly, the top Republican on the Oversight Subcommittee, lauded the bipartisan cooperation by members of the Ways and Means Committee over the years to put this legislation together.

Today, Republicans and Democrats set aside their differences and passed legislation together that will greatly benefit U.S. taxpayers. The IRS is one of few federal agencies that Americans, whether they like it or not, will have a constant relationship with throughout their lives. The bill we passed today will make sure that relationship is built on trust rather than fear, and that taxpayers’ rights are safeguarded when they interact with the agency. To protect the integrity of our voluntary tax compliance system, the IRS should be a resource for Americans, not their adversary, said Kelly.

The Taxpayer First Act, if enacted, will require the IRS to alter several of its current practices to focus on service in addition to making it more accountable to Congress and the public.

Multiple Organizations Demand Donor Privacy

By The Center for Individual Freedom

Washington, D.C. - December 9, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- A broad coalition made up of more than 50 of the nation’s most influential conservative and libertarian organizations and individuals, led by the Center for Individual Freedom ("CFIF"), sent a letter urging Congress to protect First Amendment freedoms of speech and association by eliminating the 990 Schedule B form requirement for 501(c) organizations.

Schedule B, which is a mandatory IRS form for nonprofit organizations, lists the names, addresses and other intimate information of certain donors. It is supposed to remain private and confidential. Indeed, the IRS is legally prohibited from actually using the sensitive information it collects on Schedule B forms for any meaningful purpose. The agency’s collection and retention of that information, however, has resulted in persecution and targeting by not only IRS and other government officials, but also hackers, cyberstalkers and political extremists unwilling to tolerate political and policy views with which they disagree.

"As acknowledged by the IRS itself, Schedule B information is inapplicable to the legally permissible handling of 501(c) organization tax filings," the coalition wrote in the letter, which is addressed to House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "Eliminating Schedule B will not only make tax compliance easier, but also help limit the ability of the IRS and others, including state officials with access to the information, to chill free speech and civic participation among the public."

Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives voted affirmatively to eliminate Schedule B in the form of H.R. 5053, the "Preventing IRS Abuse and Protecting Free Speech Act," sponsored by Representative Peter Roskam (R-IL). Senator Tim Scott (R-SC) introduced S. 3057 under the same title in the U.S. Senate.

"There simply is no justification for the IRS to continue to collect this confidential information," said CFIF President Jeffrey Mazzella. "Congress should therefore act without delay to eliminate Schedule B, which will help limit the ongoing threat to private individuals of targeting and abuse for simply supporting causes in which they believe. Our broad coalition stands united in that goal."

View a PDF version of the letter here.


See more headlines at The Ponder News Web Site

Norton Gets Promise from Treasury Inspector General Concerning Investigation into Threats to IRS Employees

Source: Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.)




Washington, D.C. - October 30, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) at an Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing asked Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration J. Russel George about press reports on an increase in threats to Internal Revenue Services (IRS) employees and “potential vulnerabilities outside agency headquarters.” NBC4 reported that “federal investigators have launched 1,556 investigations into possible threats against agency employees from taxpayers since the beginning of the year.” George said his office was currently working with the IRS’ security division to investigate such threats and potential security vulnerabilities and offered to brief Norton and the Committee on his findings at the conclusion of the investigation. Norton pressed George that, in addition to a congressional briefing, a report of findings, recommendations or remedies would be important to reassure employees and the public. George responded that he thought a report with necessary redactions might be appropriate.

“I appreciate that the Inspector General has taken the increase in threats to IRS employees seriously and is pursuing an investigation,” Norton said. “I will be working with his office to ensure he has the necessary resources to investigate threats against IRS employees and any potential security vulnerabilities. Our federal employees deserve a safe working environment.”

McHenry and Booker Introduce Fintech Bill to Automate Income Verification

Washington, D.C. - October 2, 2017 - (The Ponder News) -- Chief Deputy Whip Patrick McHenry (R, NC-10), the Vice Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced the IRS Data Verification Modernization Act of 2017. This bipartisan bill will require the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to automate the Income Verification Express Services process by creating an Application Programming Interface (API) allowing small businesses and consumers to access accurate credit assessments more efficiently. Joining McHenry as an original cosponsor of H.R. 3860 is Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D, OR-03), a senior member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.

“Innovation in financial services has created more convenient and secure ways to meet the demands of American consumers," said Congressman McHenry. "For financial innovation to succeed, however, Washington must update its information technology infrastructure to keep up with the growth and creativity in the private sector.

"Our federal government needs to do a better job in updating and securing its technology to make lending more accessible for all Americans," McHenry continued. "In light of the recent SEC and Equifax breaches, now is the time for Congress to take a leading role in creating a more safe and affordable process so that consumers are protected.  This bill takes a small but important step in that direction by modernizing one of the most important processes in the financial system: income verification.”

“Helping small businesses access capital is one of the best things we can do to support their development and grow the economy," said Senator Booker. "Our commonsense bill simplifies the loan process for small businesses and entrepreneurs by providing lenders quicker access to financial records and data, while safeguarding private information. This bill will cut red tape and unreasonably lengthy waiting periods, making the process more efficient in getting much-needed capital into the hands of small businesses.”

Joining Senator Booker as an original cosponsor to the Senate companion legislation to H.R. 3860 is Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID).

Background: As part of the loan and mortgage processes for consumers and small businesses, each applicant completes an IRS form called a “4506-T,” which gives the lender the right to access a summarized version of their tax transcript, which is used to confirm certain data points on their application.  According to industry reports, this manual process at the IRS takes two to eight days, which creates needless delay for fintech companies and banks that rely on leveraging data and technology to make faster, informed decision for consumer and small business lending.

Man Shoots Kansas IRS Agent

Source: American Federation of Teachers

Washington, D.C. - September 22, 2017  (The Ponder News) -- Statement by Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers; Lisa Ochs, president of the Kansas Organization of State Employees and president of AFT-Kansas; and Robert Choromanski, executive director of the Kansas Organization of State Employees, on the shooting of Kansas Department of Revenue agent Cortney Holloway allegedly by a man facing a warrant for unpaid taxes:

“Every employee has a right to work in a safe, secure environment. Some public employees experience an almost constant sense of vulnerability and fear, such as those entrusted with collecting unpaid taxes and seizing property to pay a tax lien. Kansas state agencies are housed in both public and privately owned buildings, and security or other protective measures vary from building to building. And public employees who work in the field can be especially vulnerable. Employees’ fears turned into reality this week when tax agent Cortney Holloway was shot multiple times in his office, allegedly by a disgruntled man facing a warrant for nearly $200,000 in unpaid taxes. Adequate security measures, not currently used in the privately owned building housing the Department of Revenue, might have prevented this tragedy.

“We call on the state to immediately prepare a vulnerability review/threat assessment for every state government building—public or privately owned—and fieldwork environment to ensure that all employees and others are properly protected. This ultimately could provide a uniform set of security policies that include installation of metal detectors and having armed security guards. A possible model would be the review process for identifying and assessing the safety, security and preparedness of Kansas school buildings and grounds. We also request on-site active shooter training for all public employees.

“KOSE members have complained to management that they fear for their safety, but nothing was done. Something must be done. Our goal is to ensure there is adequate security and protection for state employees and everyone who visits state facilities. We send our thoughts and prayers for Cortney Holloway’s full recovery and for the people who witnessed the unspeakable violence in their workplace.”

The IRS Gives Tax Relief to Victims of Hurricane Harvey and Warns Against Scams

The IRS has decided to give tax relief to Hurricane Harvey victims.

"This has been a devastating storm, and the IRS will move quickly to provide tax relief to hurricane victims," said IRS Commissioner John Koskinen. "The IRS will continue to closely monitor the storm's aftermath, and we anticipate providing additional relief for other affected areas in the near future."

The IRS is now offering this expanded relief to any area designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), as qualifying for individual assistance. Currently, 18 counties are eligible, but taxpayers in localities added later to the disaster area will automatically receive the same filing and payment relief.

The tax relief postpones various tax filing and payment deadlines that occurred starting on Aug. 23, 2017. As a result, affected individuals and businesses will have until Jan. 31, 2018, to file returns and pay any taxes that were originally due during this period. This includes the Sept. 15, 2017 and Jan. 16, 2018 deadlines for making quarterly estimated tax payments. For individual tax filers, it also includes 2016 income tax returns that received a tax-filing extension until Oct. 16, 2017. The IRS noted, however, that because tax payments related to these 2016 returns were originally due on April 18, 2017, those payments are not eligible for this relief.

The Internal Revenue Service has also announced that 401(k)s and similar employer-sponsored retirement plans can make loans and hardship distributions to victims of Hurricane Harvey and members of their families. This is similar to relief provided last year to Louisiana flood victims and victims of Hurricane Matthew.

The Internal Revenue Service has also issued a warning about possible fake charity scams emerging due to Hurricane Harvey and encouraged taxpayers to seek out recognized charitable groups for their donations.

While there has been an enormous wave of support across the country for the victims of Hurricane Harvey, people should be aware of criminals who look to take advantage of this generosity by impersonating charities to get money or private information from well-meaning taxpayers. Such fraudulent schemes may involve contact by telephone, social media, e-mail or in-person solicitations.

Criminals often send emails that steer recipients to bogus websites that appear to be affiliated with legitimate charitable causes. These sites frequently mimic the sites of, or use names similar to, legitimate charities, or claim to be affiliated with legitimate charities in order to persuade people to send money or provide personal financial information that can be used to steal identities or financial resources.

In response to shortages of undyed diesel fuel caused by Hurricane Harvey, the IRS will not impose a penalty when dyed diesel fuel is sold for use or used on the highway.

Burr Reintroduces Bill to Clean up IRS Following Disastrous IG Report

Washington, D.C. - July 28, 2017 (The Ponder News) -- Following the critical report from the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) reintroduced a commonsense bill to improve accountability at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). S. 1643, the Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act, will bar the IRS Commissioner from rehiring employees who separated from the agency due to substantiated conduct or performance issues. The report, The Internal Revenue Service Continues to Rehire Former Employees With Conduct and Performance Issues, found that hundreds of former IRS employees with documented issues were rehired by the agency in an 18-month span. This is the second TIGTA report finding a widespread practice of rehiring previously fired IRS employees, and is the result of a request from Sen. Burr in 2016 following testimony by IRS Commissioner John Koskinen that the agency had put an end to this practice.

“The rampant abuse at the IRS has continued and thrived for far too long,” said Senator Burr. “Whether it is the rehiring of previously terminated employees or continuing to give bonuses to poorly performing executives who can’t be fired – the delinquency at the IRS must end. It’s exactly actions like this that erode the public’s trust in their government. The American people are sick and tired of Washington at its worst. We have Americans paying the salaries of IRS workers who have repeatedly cheated the very government they took an oath to serve, and a Commissioner who won’t fire bad actors. The time to put a stop to these atrocious practices is now.”