Bill Text: NJ AR89 | 2014-2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Urges U.S. Congress to investigate activities of IRS.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 3-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2014-02-27 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Labor Committee [AR89 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2014-AR89-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman AMY H. HANDLIN
District 13 (Monmouth)
SYNOPSIS
Urges U.S. Congress to investigate activities of the IRS.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Assembly Resolution urging the United States Congress to investigate the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service.
Whereas, The mission of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is to provide America's taxpayers quality service by helping them understand and meet their tax responsibility and by applying the tax law with integrity and fairness to all; and
Whereas, IRS policy statement resolves that IRS employees accomplish this mission by being impartial and handling tax matters in a manner that will promote public confidence; and
Whereas, The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued a report on May 14, 2013 finding that inappropriate criteria were used by the IRS to identify tax-exempt applications for further review; and
Whereas, The report indicated that, beginning early in calendar year 2010 and continuing through 2012, the IRS reviewed certain applications from organizations for tax-exempt status in an improper manner; and
Whereas, Instead of using criteria based on tax-exempt laws and Treasury Regulations, the IRS developed a "Be On the Look Out" (BOLO) list, which included groups that had "political sounding" names; and
Whereas, Those applications for organizations with the words "Tea Party," later expanded to include the word "Patriots" and numbers "9/12" in their title, were placed on the BOLO list and forwarded to specialists for further review prior to receiving approval as a tax-exempt organization; and
Whereas, This further review led to a delay in tax-exempt status for these organizations, the average time of review for these cases being more than twice as long as a similar organizations not on the BOLO list; and
Whereas, Numerous leaders of these organizations, as well as their elected representatives, met with the IRS and expressed their concerns about unnecessary delays and the singling out of these groups; and
Whereas, Representatives of the IRS did not disclose this targeting to members of the public or various officials they communicated with until April, 2013 and after the inquiry by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration; and
Whereas, The United States Congress must act to reassure the public that the IRS is acting in everyone's best interest in a non-partisan, professional manner; and
Whereas, The Director of the IRS has resigned amid the furor over the agency's activities, and it is now imperative that the agency acts to ensure that all employees involved in these unfair activities are disciplined and new procedures are put into place to ensure the impartiality of the IRS going forward; now, therefore,
Be It Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. This House respectfully urges the United States Congress to investigate the targeting of conservative groups by the Internal Revenue Service.
2. Duly authenticated copies of this resolution, signed by the Speaker of the General Assembly and attested by the Clerk of the General Assembly, shall be transmitted to each member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate elected from the State of New Jersey.
STATEMENT
This resolution respectfully urges the United States Congress to investigate the targeting of conservative groups by employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration issued a report on May 14, 2013 finding that inappropriate criteria were used by the IRS to identify tax-exempt applications for review. The report indicated that, beginning early in calendar year 2010 and continuing through 2012, the IRS reviewed applications from certain organizations for tax-exempt status in an improper manner. Instead of using criteria based on tax-exempt laws and Treasury Regulations, the IRS developed a "Be On the Look Out" (BOLO) list, which included groups that had "political sounding" names. Those applications for organizations with the words "Tea Party," later expanded to include the word "Patriots" and numbers "9/12" in their title, were forwarded to specialists for further review prior to receiving approval as a tax-exempt organization, leading to lengthy delays for these groups.
Representatives of the IRS did not disclose this targeting to members of the public or various officials they communicated with until April, 2013. The Director of the IRS has resigned amid the furor over the agency's activities but it is now imperative that the agency acts to ensure that all employees involved in these unfair activities are disciplined and new procedures are put into place to ensure the impartiality of the IRS going forward.
