Years ago I did a book on tax enforcement at the Internal Revenue Service. (I don’t get any royalties from sales, FYI.) The IRS has been under legislative attack for decades. The major assault was in 1997. Underfunding inhibits enforcement of existing law and costs more in lost or delayed revenue than it saves. That’s why spending more on the IRS reduces the deficit, if you care about the deficit. (I don’t, but I do care that taxes are paid in full and on time.)
I've had a few dealings with the IRS in my time. They're good guys, in my book. Sometimes, it took the form of an unexpected check, when I made a mistake in their favor. Sometimes, they flagged a mistake in my favor. When their flagging was accurate, I sent a check. When their flagging was not, they acceded gracefully. All in all, they've been far easier to deal with than your unfriendly local telecoms monopoly.
I Love the IRS
I've had a few dealings with the IRS in my time. They're good guys, in my book. Sometimes, it took the form of an unexpected check, when I made a mistake in their favor. Sometimes, they flagged a mistake in my favor. When their flagging was accurate, I sent a check. When their flagging was not, they acceded gracefully. All in all, they've been far easier to deal with than your unfriendly local telecoms monopoly.