IRS Condemned by Ex-Commissioners

What Some IRS Commissioners/Officials Had to Say About Their Own Agency

"Our tax code is an abomination."

Former Treasury Secretary, Paul O’Neill, 2002
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"The IRS has become a symbol of the most intrusive, oppressive and non-democratic institution in our democratic society."
Former IRS Commissioner Fred Goldberg
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"I don't like the income tax. Every time we talk about these taxes we get around to the idea of 'from each according to his capacity and to each according to his needs'. That's socialism. It's written into the Communist Manifesto. Maybe we ought to see that every person who gets a tax return receives a copy of the Communist Manifesto with it so he can see what's happening to him".

Former IRS Commissioner T. Coleman Andrews
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"... the key question is: can we define 'income' in a fair and reasonably straightforward manner? Unfortunately we have not yet succeeded in doing so. We should repeal the Internal Revenue Code and start over."

Former IRS Commissioner Shirley Peterson, April 1993
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"Eight decades of amendments... to [the] code have produced a virtually impenetrable maze... The rules are unintelligible to most citizens... The rules are equally mysterious to many government employees who are charged with administering and enforcing the law".

Former IRS Commissioner Shirley Peterson, April 14, 1993 at SMU
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Today the income tax is in trouble, because its exaction's are forcing the middle class into poverty, and IRS abuses are routine."

Paul Craig Roberts, former Asst. Secretary - U.S. Treasury
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"The (tax) system is so sick that we must put it to sleep and start over."

Richard Davis, former Assistant IRS Branch Chief

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". . . when it comes to the workings of our tax system, I have just about seen it all, and that experience has led me to the conclusion that we should repeal the Internal Revenue Code and start over. Eight decades. . . have produced an impenetrable maze. I favor replacing the system.”

Former IRS Commissioner, Shirley D. Peterson, Attorney

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"Our Income Tax system is a disgrace to the human race."

Jimmy Carter, 1976, During His Presidential Campaign

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"Our federal tax system is, in short, utterly impossible, utterly unjust and completely counterproductive [it] reeks with injustice and is fundamentally un-American... it has earned a rebellion and it's time we rebelled.”

President Ronald Reagan, May 1983, Williamsburg, VA

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These are some of the reasons why I have driven over 300,000 miles with the bumper sticker, "IRS Means...I Represent Satan."

We are fighting a spiritual battle. If we don't know our enemies we will never win.

Rich Sheridan
Dallas, Texas
April 15, 2005