Shimkus Votes to Stop IRS Abuse
WASHINGTON – Congressman John Shimkus (R, Illinois-15) supported three separate bills this week to rein in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and protect American taxpayers. The legislation comes in response to the IRS’s widespread targeting of conservative and Tea Party affiliated groups first documented in a 2013 report from the Treasury Department’s Inspector General.
“Americans shouldn’t have to live in fear of their own government,” Shimkus said. “The targeting and harassment of anyone for their political or religious beliefs is outrageous and unacceptable.”
“Given the bipartisan support these bills received in the House, I urge my Senate colleagues to act quickly and help us reassure our constituents back home that their elected representatives have zero tolerance for government abuse.”
Summaries of the three bills are below:
- H.R. 3865, the Stop Targeting of Political Beliefs by the IRS Act of 2014 prevents proposed IRS regulations on 501(c)(4) organizations from taking effect.
- H.R. 2530, the Taxpayer Transparency and Efficient Audit Act requires the IRS to disclose to the taxpayer when the IRS has shared their tax information with another government agency and places a time limit on how long an individual can be subjected to an IRS audit.
- H.R. 2531, the Protecting Taxpayers from Intrusive IRS Requests Act prevents the IRS from inquiring about an individual’s religious, political, or social beliefs.
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