Judiciary Committee investigates IRS agent threatening taxpayer!
An IRS agent used a fake identity to approach and threaten a taxpayer, following which House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel seeking further information on the incident.
IRS Agent Used a Fake Identity and Lied to the Taxpayer
The incident occurred on April 25, 2023, when an IRS agent identifying as “Bill Haus” with the agency’s Criminal Division visited the home of a taxpayer residing in Marion, Ohio, according to the June 16 letter. The agent initially lied to the taxpayer that he was visiting with regard to her improper estate filings and that she owed a “substantial amount” to the IRS. Before his visit, the taxpayer had not received any notification from the tax agency regarding unpaid dues on the estate.
After the taxpayer showed proof that she had paid all taxes for the estate, agent Haus then said that the true purpose of his visit was not related to the estate but that the taxpayer allegedly had several delinquent tax return filings. He then proceeded to provide documents for the taxpayer to fill out—including submitting sensitive personal information.
The taxpayer immediately called her attorney, who asked Agent Haus to leave her home. The agent responded aggressively, insisting that “I am an IRS agent, I can be at and go into anyone’s house at any time I want to be.”
IRS Agent Made Threats to the Taxpayer
Before leaving her home, Haus “threatened” the taxpayer that she had one week to pay off her dues, failing which he would freeze her assets and put a lien on her home, the letter notes. In May, the taxpayer contacted Haus’ supervisor, who subsequently resolved the matter. On May 30, she received a letter from the IRS stating that her case had been closed.
The committee asked the IRS commissioner to provide certain documents so that it could examine “how to best protect Americans’ fundamental freedoms and to assist the Committee in its oversight.” The documents are to be submitted by June 30.
The committee is seeking all documents and communications related to Haus’ visit to the taxpayer together with IRS’ reasons for conducting the field visit. Documents and communications between the IRS, Treasury, and any other executive branch related to the visit need to be submitted as well.
The judiciary committee also wants all materials sent or received by the agent related or referring to the taxpayer, the MPD officer, or the estate as part of the investigation.
IRS Agent Lodges Complaint Against Investigating Officer
Agent Haus also filed (pdf) a complaint against an officer investigating him in relation to his visit to the Ohio taxpayer. After Haus left, the taxpayer called the Marion, Ohio Police Department (MPD), worried that she was subject to a scam.
After checking the license plate of the car that Haus drove, the MPD learned that the name was an alias. An officer then contacted Haus to verify his identity.
Suspecting that he was trying to scam the taxpayer, the MPD asked Haus to not approach the taxpayer’s home or risk getting arrested. Haus then complained about the officer to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
“This behavior from an IRS agent to an American taxpayer—providing an alias, using deception to secure entry into the taxpayer’s home, and then filing an Inspector General complaint against a police officer examining that matter—is highly concerning,” the letter stated.
The IRS has previously been criticized for suspicious behavior against law-abiding citizens. In March, Jordan had questioned the IRS regarding the agency’s alleged in-person visit to the home of investigative journalist Matt Taibbi, suggesting that this could involve potential witness intimidation.
The visit occurred on March 9—the same day Taibbi appeared before Congress to testify on government abuse. Taibbi was one of the journalists involved in the “Twitter Files” expose.
“In light of the hostile reaction to Mr. Taibbi’s reporting among left-wing activists and the IRS’s history as a tool of government abuse, the IRS’s action could be interpreted as an attempt to intimidate a witness before Congress,” Jordan wrote in a letter to the IRS commissioner.
Defunding the IRS
The controversy surrounding Agent Haus comes as the IRS has been under scrutiny, with many questioning its existence. In an interview with radio host Dana Loesch on May 25, Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he will defund the IRS if he becomes president in 2024 and Congress sends him such a bill.
“I think the IRS is a corrupt organization, and I think it’s not a friend to the average citizen or taxpayer. And so we need something totally different,” he said.
“I’ve supported all of the single rate proposals, I think they would be a huge improvement over the current system,” the governor added. “And I would be welcoming to take this tax system, chunk it out the window, and do something that’s more favorable to the average folks.”
An analysis of IRS data showed that the amount of taxes collected from American citizens under the Biden administration has jumped up considerably when compared to the Trump administration.
For fiscal year 2022, the IRS collected $4.26 trillion in net taxes, up from $2.76 trillion in fiscal year 2020, the final year Trump was in office.
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