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76-500: Eric Kessler is the fund's founding president and board chair, serving until May 2016. Lee Bodner has been board chair and president ever since, as of 2021. The Hopewell Fund incubated States Newsroom and registered to use the names of multiple outlets affiliated with the States Newsroom as its own legal aliases. According to OpenSecrets , "The Hopewell Fund gave $ 1.72 million to an organization called News for Democracy that

152-499: A 2024 study, "an additional $ 1 spent auditing taxpayers above the 90th income percentile yields more than $ 12 in revenue, while audits of below-median income taxpayers yield $ 5." As of 2018, it saw a 15 percent reduction in its workforce , including a decline of more than 25 percent of its enforcement staff. Nevertheless, during the 2023 fiscal year, the agency processed more than 271.4 million tax returns including more than 163.1 million individual income tax returns. For FY 2023,

228-437: A Fair Shake, Michigan Families for Economic Prosperity, and North Carolinians for a Fair Economy. These groups have collectively spent millions of dollars to pressure Republican members of Congress on their stances on health care and economic issues through advertising and activism. The Sixteen Thirty Fund spent almost $ 11 million in the 2018 Colorado elections on ballot measures, lobbying, and Democratic super PACs. In 2019,

304-705: A company called Courier Newsroom that published articles favoring Democrats and received millions of dollars from dark money groups." The Hopewell Fund sponsored Democracy Docket , a liberal-leaning voting rights and media platform founded by lawyer Marc Elias . Financial backers of the Hopewell Fund include Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss , LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman , Iranian-American billionaire and eBay founder Pierre Omidyar , and Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros . "Hopewell Fund Internal Revenue Service filings" . ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer . Eric Kessler Arabella Advisors

380-578: A courtroom via criminal prosecutions to curtail the activities of some of these groups, IRS can do by administrative action." By 1986, limited electronic filing of tax returns was possible. The Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 ("RRA 98") changed the organization from geographically oriented to an organization based on four operating divisions. It added "10 deadly sins" that require immediate termination of IRS employees found to have committed certain misconduct. Enforcement activities declined. The IRS Oversight Board noted that

456-523: A decision that contradicted Hylton v. United States . The federal government scrambled to raise money. In 1906, with the election of President Theodore Roosevelt , and later his successor William Howard Taft , the United States saw a populist movement for tax reform. This movement culminated during then-candidate Woodrow Wilson 's election of 1912 and in February 1913, the ratification of

532-461: A decline in the number of paper returns being processed each year. As a result, the IRS implemented a consolidation plan for its paper tax return processing centers, closing five of its ten processing centers between 2003 and 2011. The agency closed two more centers - one in 2019 and another in 2021 - as e-file use continued to expand. E-filed tax returns accounted for 90% of all returns submitted during

608-702: A fiscal sponsorship arrangement do not have to file a Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service . Using "pass-through" arrangements, funding is passed from one organization to another, making it difficult to trace where a donor's money ends up. In 2018, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, the New Venture Fund, the Hopewell Fund, and the Windward Fund had combined revenue of $ 635 million. According to OpenSecrets , in 2018

684-462: A government agency." Requard admitted that he saw the returns but denied that he leaked them. Reporter Jack White of The Providence Journal won the Pulitzer Prize for reporting about Nixon's tax returns. Nixon, with a salary of $ 200,000, paid $ 792.81 in federal income tax in 1970 and $ 878.03 in 1971, with deductions of $ 571,000 for donating "vice-presidential papers". This was one of

760-489: A messy tax season on several fronts. The email was sent by IRS Commissioner Koskinen to workers. Koskinen predicted the IRS would shut down operations for two days later that year which would result in unpaid furloughs for employees and service cuts for taxpayers . Koskinen also said delays to IT investments of more than $ 200   million may delay new taxpayer protections against identity theft . Also in January 2015,

836-409: A new login and ID verification process for several of its online tools, including general account access, Identity Protection (IP) PIN setup, and payment plan applications. As part of the agency's Identity, Credential, and Access Management (ICAM) initiative, the process included the use of third-party facial recognition technologies to confirm taxpayer identities. The facial recognition requirement

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912-584: A number of groups that spent millions of dollars on advertisements attacking President Donald Trump's response to the COVID-19 pandemic ahead of the 2020 presidential election. Arabella Advisors aimed to raise between $ 8 million and $ 10 million for the Trusted Elections Fund in case the coronavirus pandemic leads to foreign hacking of voting systems, violence, or contested election results. In June 2020, Arabella came under scrutiny for hiring

988-555: A paid editor to request edits to their Misplaced Pages page, with the edit request being reported by multiple news sources. Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service ( IRS ) is the revenue service for the United States federal government , which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code , the main body of the federal statutory tax law. It

1064-468: A report critical of the lack of protection of privacy in TAS, and the project was abandoned in 1978. In 1995, the IRS began to use the public Internet for electronic filing. Since the introduction of e-filing , self-paced online tax services have flourished, augmenting the work of tax accountants, who were sometimes replaced. By 2002, more than a third of all tax returns were filed electronically. This led to

1140-806: A result, the IRS now functions under four major operating divisions: The Large Business & International (LB&I) division was known as the Large and Mid-Size Business division prior to a name change on October 1, 2010. The IRS is headquartered in Washington, D.C. , and does most of its computer programming in Maryland. It processes paper tax returns sent by mail and e-filed tax returns at three IRS center locations: Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Ogden, Utah. The IRS also operates computer centers in three locations: Detroit, Michigan; Martinsburg, West Virginia; and Memphis, Tennessee. The IRS

1216-439: A super PAC linked to the Sixteen Thirty Fund, and Democratic donor group Democracy Alliance , whose members include billionaire George Soros , has recommended that donors give generously to the Sixteen Thirty Fund. According to Politico , the Sixteen Thirty Fund's activities are "a sign that Democrats and allies have embraced the methods of groups they decried as 'dark money' earlier this decade, when they were under attack from

1292-477: A veterans group to local media outlets." OpenSecrets reported that "A veterans group urging Republican lawmakers to 'put country over politics' amid the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump is the project of a well-funded liberal 'dark money' network." Defend American Democracy's advertisements contained disclaimers that they were "paid for by a group called Protect the Investigation. But Protect

1368-547: A way that leaves almost no paper trail." The Sixteen Thirty Fund was active in the battle for the House of Representatives in 2018, assisting "Democrats trying to seize back power after Trump's rise." According to Politico , "The election featured dozens of Democratic candidates who decried the influence of money in politics on the campaign trail." The Sixteen Thirty Fund operates under dozens of different trade names with titles like Arizonans United for Health Care, Floridians for

1444-517: Is a Washington, D.C. –based for-profit consulting company that advises left-leaning donors and nonprofits about where to give money and serves as the hub of a politically liberal " dark money " network. It was founded by former Clinton administration appointee Eric Kessler. The Arabella network spent nearly $ 1.2 billion in 2020 and raised $ 1.6 billion that same year. In 2022, Arabella raised $ 1.3 billion and spent $ 900 million. Organizations incubated by and affiliated with Arabella Advisors include

1520-496: Is a liberal "dark money" nonprofit headquartered in Washington D.C. Because it is a nonprofit, the Sixteen Thirty Fund is not required to disclose its donors, even though it spends significant amounts on politics. As of 2019, it had spent $ 141 million on more than 100 left-leaning and Democratic causes, making it a large source of money for nonprofits pushing a variety of changes to state and federal law. The Atlantic called

1596-404: Is also tied to Supermajority News, whose associated super PAC, Democracy PAC, was created by George Soros in 2019. Democracy PAC gave $ 1.75 million to PACRONYM, the super PAC arm of ACRONYM . ACRONYM gained notoriety as the majority owner of Shadow Inc. , a political technology company whose software failed during the 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses . In 2020, the Sixteen Thirty Fund was behind

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1672-724: Is an agency of the Department of the Treasury and led by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue , who is appointed to a five-year term by the President of the United States. The duties of the IRS include providing tax assistance to taxpayers; pursuing and resolving instances of erroneous or fraudulent tax filings; and overseeing various benefits programs, including the Affordable Care Act . The IRS originates from

1748-473: Is blamed for $ 4   billion worth of fraudulent 2012 tax refunds by the IRS. Fraudulent claims were made with the use of stolen taxpayer identification and Social Security numbers, with returns sent to addresses both in the US and internationally. Following the release of the findings, the IRS stated that it resolved most of the identity theft cases of 2013 within 120 days, while the average time to resolve cases from

1824-656: Is controlling or funding the organizations until after an election is over. In a 2018 ballot measure campaign in Michigan, a Sixteen Thirty Fund donor group didn't report a "trade name" they had used in a campaign "until 12 days after voters went to the ballots." The Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $ 8 million to the League of Conservation Voters in 2018. In 2018, the New Venture Fund gave $ 250,000 to ACRONYM , described by OpenSecrets (CRP) as "a liberal dark money group with an affiliated super PAC called PACRONYM." As of 2019, ACRONYM

1900-447: Is currently led by Daniel Werfel , who became Commissioner of Internal Revenue on March 13, 2023. He succeeded Douglas O'Donnell , who served as Acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue after Charles P. Rettig 's term as Commissioner ended on November 12, 2022. There have been 50 commissioners of Internal Revenue and 28 acting commissioners since the agency's creation in 1862. From May 22, 2013, to December 23, 2013, senior official at

1976-711: The 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel in October 2023, the Washington Examiner reported on the ties between the Alliance for Global Justice and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine . Soon after, the New Venture Fund and Windward Fund announced they would no longer provide funding to the Alliance for Global Justice due to its ties to Palestinian terrorist groups. The Sixteen Thirty Fund

2052-591: The Commissioner of Internal Revenue , a federal office created in 1862 to assess the nation's first income tax to fund the American Civil War . The temporary measure funded over a fifth of the Union's war expenses before being allowed to expire a decade later. In 1913, the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, authorizing Congress to impose a tax on income and leading to

2128-667: The Courier Newsroom , a group seeking to boost Democratic candidates through local news stories and advertising. The Hub Project is an initiative that passes on funding to and coordinates 14 groups out of a single office in Washington D.C., "with the goal of battering Republicans for their health care and economic policies during the midterm elections." The Hub Project is run by Obama administration official and public relations specialist Leslie Dach and former Center for American Progress political strategist Arkadi Gerney. The Hub Project "set up an array of affiliate groups around

2204-615: The Office of Management and Budget Daniel Werfel was acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue. Werfel, who attended law school at the University of North Carolina and attained a master's degree from Duke University , prepared the government for a potential shutdown in 2011 by determining which services that would remain in existence. No IRS commissioner has served more than five years and one month since Guy Helvering, who served 10 years until 1943. The most recent commissioner to serve

2280-771: The Sixteen Thirty Fund , the New Venture Fund , the Hopewell Fund , the Windward Fund , and the North Fund . These groups have been active in various efforts to oppose the Trump administration and to organize opposition to numerous Republican politicians and policies. According to The Atlantic , Arabella Advisors has "undeniably benefited from the rush of panicked political giving on

2356-507: The Sixteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution : The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. This granted Congress the specific power to impose an income tax without regard to apportionment among the states by population. By February 1913, 36 states had ratified

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2432-491: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (collecting duties and tariffs ) or the Federal Reserve (purchasing U.S. treasuries ). The IRS faces periodic controversy and opposition over its methods, constitutionality, and the principle of taxation generally. In recent years, the agency has struggled with budget cuts, under-staffed workforce, outdated technology and reduced morale, all of which collectively result in

2508-456: The 2011/2012 tax period was 312 days. In September 2014, IRS Commissioner John Koskinen expressed concern over the organization's ability to handle Obamacare and administer premium tax credits that help people pay for health plans from the health law's insurance exchanges. It will also enforce the law's individual mandate , which requires most Americans to hold health insurance. In January 2015, Fox News obtained an email which predicted

2584-460: The 2021 filing season. In 2003, the IRS struck a deal with tax software vendors: The IRS would not develop online filing software and, in return, software vendors would provide free e-filing to most Americans. In 2009, 70% of filers qualified for free electronic filing of federal returns. According to an inspector general's report, released in November 2013, identity theft in the United States

2660-1067: The Court bought several Internet domain names related to Kavanaugh and redirected them to websites including End Rape On Campus, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center , and the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network . Fix the Court's executive director, Gabe Roth, said he purchased and redirected the websites because he believed the sexual assault allegations made by Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh and by Anita Hill against Clarence Thomas . Defend American Democracy spent six figures on television advertisements pressuring Republican members of Congress to vote to impeach President Donald Trump for what they called "abusing his office and risking national security for his own gain." This group "primarily targets swing-district Republicans, prominently features military veterans in its ads and presents itself as

2736-472: The IRS collected approximately $ 4.7 trillion, which is approximately 96 percent of the operational funding for the federal government; funding widely throughout to different aspects of American society , from education and healthcare to national defense and infrastructure. In July 1862, during the American Civil War , President Abraham Lincoln and Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1862 , creating

2812-537: The IRS was tasked with enforcement of laws relating to prohibition of alcohol sales and manufacture ; this was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Department of Justice in 1930. After repeal in 1933, the IRS resumed collection of taxes on beverage alcohol. The alcohol, tobacco and firearms activities of the bureau were segregated into the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 1972. A new tax act

2888-491: The Investigation doesn't legally exist — it's one of dozens of fictitious names registered by the Sixteen Thirty Fund." The Hub Project was started in 2015 with funding from the Wyss Foundation , operated by Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss . The Hub Project seeks "to shape media coverage to help Democratic causes." The goal of The Hub Project is to help Democrats be more effective at conveying their arguments through

2964-439: The Sixteen Thirty Fund "sponsored social media pages and digital operations for five pseudo local news outlets." These outlets appeared to be independent but ran nearly identical digital ads. Associated Facebook pages "gave the impression of multiple free-standing local news outlets with unique names and disclaimers...But the sponsors of those ads are merely fictitious names used by the Sixteen Thirty Fund." The Sixteen Thirty Fund

3040-512: The Sixteen Thirty Fund "the indisputable heavyweight of Democratic dark money," noting that it was the second-largest super-PAC donor in 2020, donating $ 61 million of "effectively untraceable money to progressive causes." The Sixteen Thirty Fund supports Democratic lawmakers and candidates and criticizes Republicans. The group spent money opposing the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh and other Trump judicial nominees and supporting various ballot measures. The Sixteen Thirty Fund

3116-518: The Sixteen Thirty Fund had "thirteen multi-million dollar secret donors." One donor gave $ 51.7 million to the group in 2018, while another donor gave $ 26.7 million and a third gave $ 10 million. The group is not required by law to reveal its donors and it has not disclosed who its funders are. Known donors to the group include Nick Hanauer , the American Federation of Teachers , and the Wyss Foundation . Michael Bloomberg gave $ 250,000 to

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3192-413: The U.S. Supreme Court. The group "projected a video of Christine Blasey Ford accusing Kavanaugh of assault on the side of a truck outside a Washington gala where Kavanaugh was speaking." The New Venture Fund provides all of the funding for Fix the Court , a judicial advocacy group that seeks reform of the U.S. federal court system . When Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the U.S. Supreme Court , Fix

3268-753: The Union raised 21% of its war revenue through income taxes. After the Civil War, Reconstruction , railroads, and transforming the North and South war machines towards peacetime required public funding. However, in 1872, seven years after the war, lawmakers allowed the temporary Civil War income tax to expire. Income taxes evolved, but in 1894 the Supreme Court declared the Income Tax of 1894 unconstitutional in Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. ,

3344-539: The Windward Fund shared $ 715 million in 2019 with the New Venture and Hopewell funds. Windward is a 501(c)(3) tax-deductible charity. Windward hosts several charities, including the Heartland Fund and Rewiring America. Demand Justice is a courts-focused group headed by former Hillary Clinton press secretary Brian Fallon . The group spent millions of dollars opposing Brett Kavanaugh 's confirmation to

3420-471: The change to the Constitution. It was further ratified by six more states by March. Of the 48 states at the time, 42 ratified it. Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Utah rejected the amendment; Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Florida did not take up the issue. Though the constitutional amendment to allow the federal government to collect income taxes was proposed by President Taft in 1909, the 16th Amendment

3496-409: The country, many with vaguely sympathetic names like Keep Iowa Healthy, New Jersey for a Better Future and North Carolinians for a Fair Economy. The Hub Project then used them to mobilize volunteers and run advertising on policy issues against Republican members of Congress many months before the election." The Sixteen Thirty Fund gave America Votes , which describes itself as "the coordination hub of

3572-481: The creation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue . In 1953, the agency was renamed the Internal Revenue Service, and in subsequent decades underwent numerous reforms and reorganizations, most significantly in the 1990s. Since its establishment, the IRS has been largely responsible for collecting the revenue needed to fund the United States federal government, with the rest being funded either through

3648-576: The decline in enforcement activities has "rais[ed] questions about tax compliance and fairness to the vast majority of citizens who pay all their taxes". In June 2012, the IRS Oversight Board recommended to Treasury a fiscal year 2014 budget of $ 13.074   billion for the Internal Revenue Service. On December 20, 2017, Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 . It was signed into law by President Trump on December 22, 2017. In

3724-409: The editorial board of The New York Times called the IRS budget cuts penny-wise-and-pound-foolish, where for every dollar of cuts in the budget, six were lost in tax revenue. A 2020 Treasury Department audit found the IRS had improved its identity verification system offerings for taxpayers, but was still behind in fully meeting digital identity requirements. The following year, the IRS announced

3800-690: The filing deadline was moved from March 15 to April 15. The Tax Reform Act of 1969 created the Alternative Minimum Tax . In 1969, Richard Nixon directed the IRS to audit his political opponents, as well as opponents of US involvement in the Vietnam War . The IRS's Activist Organizations Committee, later renamed the Special Services Staff, created a target list of more than 1,000 organizations and 4,000 individuals. A White House memo said that "What we cannot do in

3876-428: The form and the IRS checked the form for accuracy. The IRS's workload jumped by ten-fold, triggering a massive restructuring. Professional tax collectors began to replace a system of "patronage" appointments. The IRS doubled its staff but was still processing 1917 returns in 1919. Income tax raised much of the money required to finance the war effort; in 1918 a new Revenue Act established a top tax rate of 77%. In 1919

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3952-532: The fund raised $ 137 million. The Sixteen Thirty Fund spent $ 410 million in 2020, largely focused on helping Democrats defeat President Donald Trump and winning back control of the United States Senate . The group financed attack ads against Trump and vulnerable Republican senators and funded various issue advocacy campaigns. Funding went to groups opposing Trump's Supreme Court nominees, supporting liberal ballot measures and policy proposals at

4028-489: The group Colorado Families First to support a proposed ballot initiative requiring paid family leave in the state. The New Venture Fund had revenue of $ 405 million in 2018, up from $ 350 million annually in the three preceding years. According to OpenSecrets , the New Venture Fund "has fiscally sponsored at least 80 groups and acted as a pass-through agency funneling millions of dollars in grants for wealthy donors to opaque groups with minimal disclosure." Founded in 2015,

4104-420: The groups structure their funding creates "an incomplete picture of where support for candidates and ballot initiatives are coming from" and allows these groups to "avoid public scrutiny by registering trade names to carry out their work. The groups pose as grassroots activist organizations... while being connected to much larger organizations." They adopt 'trade names' meaning voters have little way of knowing who

4180-401: The inappropriate enforcement of tax laws against high earners and large corporations , reduced tax collection, rising deficits , lower spending on important priorities, or further tax increases on compliant taxpayers to compensate for lost revenue . Research shows that IRS audits raise revenue, both through the initial audit and indirectly by deterring future tax cheating. According to

4256-425: The left during the Trump years ." In 2020, the Sixteen Thirty Fund donated $ 410 million toward defeating Trump and winning Democratic control of the U.S. Senate. Because of the way they are legally structured, Arabella Advisors and its affiliated groups are not required to disclose their donors, and they have not opted to do so. Billionaires George Soros and Pierre Omidyar have disclosed multi-million donations to

4332-640: The longest term was Doug Shulman, who was appointed by President George W. Bush and served for five years. The Commissioner of Internal Revenue is assisted by two deputy commissioners. The Deputy Commissioner for Operations Support reports directly to the Commissioner and oversees the IRS's integrated support functions, working to facilitate economy of scale efficiencies and better business practices. The Deputy also administers and provides executive leadership for customer service, processing, tax law enforcement and financial management operations. Additionally,

4408-470: The money machines built by conservatives including the Kochs ". In May 2023, Arabella laid off 10% of its workforce. In July 2023, the company announced that CEO Rick Cruz would depart on August 1. Between 2020 and 2021, the New Venture Fund and the Windward Fund directed $ 473,000 to the Alliance for Global Justice, a group which funds and organizes anti-Israel protests across the United States. Following

4484-638: The network. Politico has described the Sixteen Thirty Fund as a "left-leaning, secret-money group", writing that the group "illustrates the extent to which the left embraced the use of 'dark money' to fight for its causes in recent years. After decrying big-money Republican donors over the last decade, as well as the Supreme Court rulings that flooded politics with more cash, Democrats now benefit from hundreds of millions of dollars of undisclosed donations as well." Arabella Advisors and its affiliated entities utilize tax regulations in which groups who use

4560-649: The news media and directly to voters. It seeks to "dramatically shift the public debate and policy positions of core decision makers." The Hub Project engaged in paid advertising campaigns that criticized Republican congressional candidates in 2018. The Hub Project is housed within the Arabella-sponsored groups the New Venture Fund and the Sixteen Thirty Fund. Between 2007 and 2020, the Wyss Foundation donated approximately $ 56.5 million to these groups. The New Venture Fund underwrites Acronym , which owns

4636-418: The office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue and enacting a temporary income tax to pay war expenses. The Revenue Act of 1862 was passed as an emergency and temporary war-time tax. It copied a relatively new British system of income taxation, instead of trade and property taxation. The first income tax was passed in 1862: By the end of the war, 10% of Union households had paid some form of income tax, and

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4712-543: The progressive community", $ 27 million in 2018. The $ 27 million grant was nearly twice the amount America Votes had previously ever raised in a single year. The Sixteen Thirty Fund urged passage of a Nevada ballot measure promoting automatic voter registration and a Michigan redistricting ballot measure. The group also supported a Florida constitutional amendment restoring voting rights to felons and minimum wage increases in Arkansas, Missouri, and other states. The way

4788-452: The public. His tax advisor, Edward L. Morgan, became the fourth law-enforcement official to be charged with a crime during Watergate . John Requard Jr., accused of leaking the Nixon tax returns, collected delinquent taxes in the slums of Washington. In his words: "We went after people for nickels and dimes, many of them poor and in many cases illiterate people who didn't know how to deal with

4864-652: The reasons for his famous statement: "Well, I'm not a crook. I've earned everything I've got." So controversial was this leak, that most later US presidents released their tax returns (though sometimes only partially). These returns can be found online at the Tax History Project. By the end of the Second World War, the IRS was handling sixty million tax returns each year, using a combination of mechanical desk calculators, accounting machines , and pencil and paper forms. In 1948 punch card equipment

4940-573: The state level, and opposing Republican tax and health care policies. The Sixteen Thirty Fund gave $ 10.5 million to the conservative anti-Trump group Defending Democracy Together, which was founded by Bill Kristol in 2018. In 2020, the Sixteen Thirty Fund raised $ 390 million, with half of that amount coming from just four donors. Billionaire Pierre Omidyar disclosed that he gave the group $ 45 million that same year. The group also received mystery donations as large as $ 50 million and disseminated grants to more than 200 groups. It gave $ 0.5 million to

5016-420: The three decades since 1991, the IRS had a substantial decrease in the number of employees per million residents, decreasing from 451 (in 1991) to 237 (in 2021). A decrease of 47.5 percent. From the 1950s through the 1970s, the IRS began using technology such as microfilm to keep and organize records. Access to this information proved controversial, when President Richard Nixon's tax returns were leaked to

5092-501: Was at the crux of a network of seemingly independent Facebook pages disguised as news outlets that started spending on digital ads in 2018." In 2020, OpenSecrets described these types of activities as "some of the biggest coordinated efforts using pseudo news for political gain discovered to date." A 2022 analysis by The New York Times found that the Hopewell Fund "gave $ 8.1 million to a dark-money group called Acronym , which spent millions of dollars on Facebook advertising and backed

5168-410: Was behind several groups that ran issue advocacy ads to benefit Democrats during the 2018 midterms. The group also funded Demand Justice , which spent millions of dollars on ads attacking Brett Kavanaugh 's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court. According to OpenSecrets , the Sixteen Thirty Fund and New Venture Fund "have fiscally sponsored at least 80 of their own groups, bankrolling those entities in

5244-478: Was dropped in 2022, however, following privacy concerns from government officials and the public. Alternative ID verification options have since been introduced with the goal of making IRS online tools accessible to more people. As early as the year 1918, the Bureau of Internal Revenue began using the name "Internal Revenue Service" on at least one tax form. In 1953, the name change to the "Internal Revenue Service"

5320-604: Was formalized in Treasury Decision 6038. The 1980s saw a reorganization of the IRS. A bipartisan commission was created with several mandates, among them to increase customer service and improve collections. Congress later enacted the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998 , which mandated that the agency replace its geographic regional divisions with units that serve particular categories of taxpayers. As

5396-528: Was not ratified until 1913, just before the start of the First World War . That same year, the first edition of the 1040 form was introduced. A copy of the 1913 form can be viewed online and shows that only those with annual incomes of at least $ 3,000 (equivalent to $ 92,500 in 2023) were instructed to file an income tax return. In the first year after the ratification of the 16th Amendment, no taxes were collected. Instead, taxpayers simply completed

5472-465: Was passed in 1942 as the United States entered the Second World War . This act included a special wartime surcharge. The number of American citizens who paid income tax increased from about four million in 1939 to more than forty-two million by 1945. In 1952, after a series of politically damaging incidents of tax evasion and bribery among its own employees, the Bureau of Internal Revenue

5548-506: Was phased out. Information processing in the IRS systems of the late 1960s was in batch mode; microfilm records were updated weekly and distributed to regional centers for handling tax inquiries. A project to implement an interactive, realtime system, the "Tax Administration System", was launched, that would provide thousands of local interactive terminals at IRS offices. However, the General Accounting Office prepared

5624-408: Was reorganized under a plan put forward by President Truman , with the approval of Congress. The reorganization decentralized many functions to new district offices which replaced the collector's offices. Civil service directors were appointed to replace the politically appointed collectors of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Not long after, the bureau was renamed the Internal Revenue Service. In 1954

5700-463: Was the full owner of Courier Newsroom , a digital for-profit media company which publishes "websites that appear to be free-standing local news outlets" but that are "actually part of a coordinated effort with deep ties to Democratic political operatives." According to the CRP, "Courier has faced scrutiny for exploiting the collapse of local journalism to spread 'hyperlocal partisan propaganda.'" In 2018,

5776-480: Was used. The first trial of a computer system for income tax processing was in 1955, when an IBM 650 installed at Kansas City processed 1.1 million returns. The IRS was authorized to proceed with computerization in 1959 and purchased IBM 1401 and IBM 7070 systems for local and regional data processing centers. The Social Security number was used for taxpayer identification starting in 1965. By 1967, all returns were processed by computer and punched card data entry

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