IRS Shutdown

[BobKamman]

From the Washington Post:

The Internal Revenue Service and its roughly 90,000 employees had expected to weather the impending government shutdown by staying open for business, thanks to the $80 billion boost provided by the Inflation Reduction Act.

But that abruptly changed this week.

On Thursday, the tax agency released an updated contingency plan showing that it will furlough up to two-thirds of its workforce — 60,000 employees — if the government comes to a halt on Sunday, a move that will affect vital services to taxpayers as late-filing season closes out.

The agency’s whiplash was prompted by late guidance from federal officials that IRS could not, in fact, cover workers’ salaries during a shutdown with funds from President Biden’s landmark climate change, health care and tax law.

Although the IRS had held for months that it could do business as usual if government funding lapsed, the Office of Management and Budget told the agency this week that the money cannot substitute for the agency’s regular budget, which pays the salaries of most of its employees. The result will be a return to the backlogs at all levels of service that had begun to disappear in the last year, current and former IRS officials said.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/09/28/irs-shutdown-furlough-inflation-act/  (may be paywall protected)

[sjrcpa]

[IRonMaN]

But the good news is Congress has rolled up its sleeves and has focused on the most important thing on the eve of a government shutdown——— impeachment investigations🤔

If the bozos do shut things down, they should be required to pay restitution by way of all elected officials having to dig into their personal bank accounts to pay for government operations until they get something approved.  They may just have to work overtime to come up with the needed cash.

[BobKamman]

Don't be so partisan.  The fact is that the House did roll up its sleeve last night and focused on the most important thing on the eve of a government shutdown:  Cutting military aid to Ukraine.  

I'm so old, I can remember when Americans disapproved of Russia invading neighboring countries like Hungary and Czechoslovakia.  The role model these days, though, is Neville Chamberlain and "peace in our time."  

[sjrcpa]

Taxpayer Advocate Service will shut down, too

Read more

[IRonMaN]

Maybe they should shutdown Congress while they are at it.  Instead of electing power crazed lunatics and theatrical wannabes, why not change running the government into a talent show format.  People can come up with their ideas on laws and appear on TV.  People at home can then vote on that law and see if the law can make it into the final round of voting,.

[BobKamman]

There you go again, trying to deny the vote to homeless persons.  

[qbteachmt]

"Maybe they should shutdown Congress while they are at it."

Who would even notice? Either way, not much is getting done. They might as well leave town. They would do less damage.

[jritchie]

So in the literal 11th hour, a stop-gap measure halts the shutdown for 45 days.  At least we'll get through the 10/16 deadline before the asteroid hits...

[PATAX]

@jritchie sameo sameo. They play these games every year. How about not spending money that you don't have? How about that.

[jritchie]

What a novel idea @PATAX 

[jritchie]

@qbteachmt -- glass half - full:  They do have ANOTHER Federal Holiday next Monday the 9th, so I am sure they will rest up for the budget battle to come.