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Category Archives: Tax Policy and Administration
What You Need to Know about Tax Incentives and the Federal Budget (infographic)
The federal budget consists of revenue (mostly taxes, but also things like user fees and intragovernmental revolving funds) and spending. But not all spending looks the same. Spending through tax provisions—known as tax incentives or expenditures—is not as well-known as … Continue reading
The Stubborn Problem of Identity Theft Tax Refund Fraud (podcast)
The Internal Revenue Service estimates that it paid out more than $3 billion in identity theft tax refund fraud in 2014—i.e., fraudsters using stolen identities to file taxes in someone else’s name, collecting tax refunds, and then disappearing. Jay McTigue, … Continue reading
Will “Hamilton” Win Big? Its Namesake Already Inspired a Lot of GAO Work
Alexander Hamilton has quite the legacy: he was the first Secretary of the Treasury; he created a plan for managing the national debt; and he is now the inspiration behind the Tony Award-nominated musical, Hamilton. In anticipation of this Sunday’s … Continue reading
Auditing the Government’s Books
Congress and the President need reliable, useful, and timely financial information so they can make difficult budget choices and deal with the nation’s long-term fiscal challenges. Each year, we audit the governmentwide financial statements to help make sure good information … Continue reading
E-cigarettes and FDA’s New Rule
E-cigarettes have rapidly become more popular since they first appeared on the U.S. market about 10 years ago. Just last week, the Food and Drug Administration issued a rule to regulate e-cigarettes as tobacco products. This follows recent e-cigarette legislation … Continue reading
The Taxman Cometh
Usually, April 15 is the deadline for filing federal individual income tax returns. However, this year, due to Washington, D.C.’s celebration of Emancipation Day on Friday, April 15, the deadline for most of the nation is today, April 18. (Due … Continue reading
What Large Corporations Pay in Income Tax (podcast)
The corporate federal income tax rate tops out at 35 percent. But what do corporations actually pay? We recently reviewed federal corporate income tax, and how much of it U.S. corporations paid. Listen to Jessica Lucas-Judy, a director in our … Continue reading
Weaknesses in IRS Information Security (podcast)
To do its job, the IRS has to collect and keep a variety of sensitive information about taxpayers. But how does it make sure this information is secure? Listen to Greg Wilshusen, a director in our Information Technology team, discuss … Continue reading
Keeping IRS Audits Fair
April 18th is the deadline for filing taxes. But after the crunch—and perhaps a collective sigh of relief from taxpayers—the IRS’s work continues. That includes identifying a small percentage of returns to examine more carefully. These audits help ensure a … Continue reading
Preventing Potentially Billions of Dollars in ID Theft Tax Refund Fraud
Two things cause stress for just about everybody: taxes and identity theft. And when those two things come together, the result can be a nightmare. For Tax Identity Theft Awareness Week, today’s WatchBlog focuses on how the IRS can combat … Continue reading
