I decided to start a new thread in response to Lucy's rant on a couple that apparently got divorced in order to have the benefits of one person who is HoH and another who is single, EIC, etc., etc. I don't have a strong opinion on this particular client. Lucy wanted to know how to report the "fraud" to the IRS. But someone else commented that technically the returns might actually be correct. I agree. Also: Lucy collected a fee. She never actually did their returns, but she collected a fee, and doesn't plan to refund it. That's okay; I'm not passing judgment on that. She may have done some work for them, and she deserves to get paid, even if they never use the work product. But now you have a client relationship, and releasing information to the IRS without the client's permission could actually be a violation of Circular 230 regs.
That said...
One tax pro I know has suggested for years that the solution to all fraud, corruption, abuse and duplication of government benefits such as food stamps, EIC, housing subsidies, medicaid, and so forth is this:
Offer a program where any adult can enroll in a government support program where they are never expected to work or engage in any productive, gainful activity, even if they are clearly capable of doing so. By enrolling in the program, they are guaranteed government benefits that will provide them with a middle class standard of living for their entire lives. You simply never have to work at all, even if you can, and the government supports you with a decent standard of living. You suck on the government teat your entire life and then you die. Here's your $35K per year in benefits, adjusted each year for inflation. Go enjoy your life, courtesy of the government, paid for by the taxation of those who actually do work and support themselves.
Under this proposed program, there are only two conditions for enrollment, and there are no waivers or exceptions available.
To qualify for this program, you have to enroll before age 21, and you have to be sterilized.
Eugenics? Social engineering? Warped application of Darwin's theory? Maybe.
But it happens in other ecosystems. Thinning the herd, weeding out, whatever you want to call it.
It would probably work. But any legislator with the guts to even talk about it might as well kiss his or her career goodbye.
Burton
That said...
One tax pro I know has suggested for years that the solution to all fraud, corruption, abuse and duplication of government benefits such as food stamps, EIC, housing subsidies, medicaid, and so forth is this:
Offer a program where any adult can enroll in a government support program where they are never expected to work or engage in any productive, gainful activity, even if they are clearly capable of doing so. By enrolling in the program, they are guaranteed government benefits that will provide them with a middle class standard of living for their entire lives. You simply never have to work at all, even if you can, and the government supports you with a decent standard of living. You suck on the government teat your entire life and then you die. Here's your $35K per year in benefits, adjusted each year for inflation. Go enjoy your life, courtesy of the government, paid for by the taxation of those who actually do work and support themselves.
Under this proposed program, there are only two conditions for enrollment, and there are no waivers or exceptions available.
To qualify for this program, you have to enroll before age 21, and you have to be sterilized.
Eugenics? Social engineering? Warped application of Darwin's theory? Maybe.
But it happens in other ecosystems. Thinning the herd, weeding out, whatever you want to call it.
It would probably work. But any legislator with the guts to even talk about it might as well kiss his or her career goodbye.
Burton
Comment