Michael Raanan, EA
Santa Ana, CA
Male, 35
My tenure with the largest and most powerful collection agency in the world, the IRS, began fresh out of college and with much surprise. Following an extensive interview process and a cross-country flight to the West Coast, I found myself in Los Angeles with the unenviable task of getting delinquent taxpayers back into tax compliance. After approximately 8 years of service, I left, and now find myself (very literally) on the other side of the table helping taxpayers resolve their IRS disputes.
A perfect mess, indeed. The IRS has never been good at informing taxpayers (the general public) what it is they actually do on a daily basis and why their role (as delegated by Congress) as the 'Accounts Receivable' for the United States is so critical. As such, the public perception of the agency will continue to thrive and flourish, and any detrimental news will always be magnified to the nth degree.
That said, all employees from the Commissioner down are sworn public employees and have an ethical duty to uphold the law and comply with IRS policies and procedures. In addition to immediate supervisors and other superiors, the agency... Read More +
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I couldn't agree more. If you look closely, you'll often see the Taxpayer Burden Reduction statement at the end of a standard IRS form or publication (see 1 below). While the IRS can attempt to ease taxpayer burden with respect to forms and verbiage, it is Congress that has delegated to the IRS the responsibility of administering the tax laws - known as the Internal Revenue Code and found in Title 26 of the United States Code. Congress enacts these tax laws, and the IRS enforces them. One would imagine, a simpler set of laws would mean an easier time administering such laws, and thus make it easier for taxpayers to... Read More +
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In short, I'd always wanted to work for myself since I was young. This aspiration was further enhanced by my experience in two business schools which cemented my decision to depart from the IRS and subsequently open my own tax firm.
For me, one of the best parts about working at the IRS was helping taxpayers resolve their tax matter. While at the IRS, it was my responsibility to listen to each taxpayer, assess their tax situation based on the facts of the case, and work with them to resolve their case. I spent a lot of time educating taxpayers on their tax responsibilities and helping them understand how they got themselves into the... Read More +
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From time to time I did come across the occasional "tax resistor" (formerly referred to as "tax protestors"). Most of these individuals would employ very similar techniques in an attempt to impede Collection activity and delay progress of the case, such as mailing and faxing an inordinate amount of correspondence to the IRS littered with fictitious claims, legal citations and allegations.
As with all IRS cases, each of the tax resistors had their own unique characteristics. In one such case, I was assigned to a holistic practitioner with a business and radio show who would send between 4- 6 letters a week titled "Non-negotiable Notice... Read More +
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Private Detective
Has anyone ever caught you surveilling them, and what happened?
Casino Dealer
Do you find casinos to be depressing places to work?
Claims Adjuster
Will you get disciplined if you approve too many claims?
As a Revenue Officer (RO), my duties were to investigate the nature of a taxpayer's delinquency and collect any balances or unfiled tax returns that were due. ROs are unique among other IRS personnel as they are the last line of collection for the United States, and because of that, they also have more authority and autonomy. With their personal inventory of Collection cases, ROs work directly with the delinquent taxpayer (an individual or business) or with the taxpayer's authorized representative. After working close to 1,000 cases during my tenure, I certainly had my fair share of difficult taxpayers and representatives.
Although... Read More +
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There are various positions within the IRS organization that require varying degrees of education and training. While tax legislation and internal policies and procedures would change regularly, one constant during my time at the IRS was the continuous, mandated training for Revenue Officers and other employees.
I worked along many employees that were CPAs, attorneys, former preparers and bookkeepers, and others that were well-educated and experienced. Some were seasoned 30-year government employees and others transitioned in from the private sector after working for themselves or large corporate entities. Their back stories... Read More +
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Despite its many inefficiencies and shortcomings, the U.S. tax system is in fact one of the most effective in the world. However, even with a voluntary compliance rate of over 90 percent, there is still a tax gap of approx $450B as a result of underreporting, underpayment, nonfiling, and fraud. Any nation looking to implement a tax system would presumably benefit greatly by benchmarking the U.S. system and adapting so-called 'best practices' to the specific needs of the subject nation.
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