No one likes paying taxes, even if the money does go to
(some) good use. That, in turn, means that nobody likes the IRS, the agency
that enforces those taxes. Hating the IRS, though, and lobbying to have its
funding decreased isn’t targeting the right agency. The IRS isn’t really as
responsible for those awful taxes you have to pay and those archaic tax laws
you have to follow as Congress is.
See, Congress is responsible for creating and changing the
tax codes, laws, and amounts. Its aim is to promote positive things, such as
marriage and home ownership, by giving tax breaks to people who do them and to
make things more difficult for people who don’t do the things they should, like
saving up for retirement.
So, if you really want to blame an agency for the tax laws
you don’t like, blame Congress...except
that doesn’t really work because
Congress, in a twisted sort of way, would just blame it on the IRS. Yes, that’s
right. Congress, which is responsible for most tax laws, often blames the IRS
for things it doesn’t like and then cuts its budget as “punishment.” Does that
sound fair or sensical to you?
Despite the fact that it’s not really right or fair for
Congress to blame the IRS for its own shortcomings, its budget cuts hurt
everyone. For starters, they reduce revenue for the Federal government by
cutting the very funds the IRS uses to go after people who skip out on their
taxes or commit tax fraud.