The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/internal-revenue-service-irs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Internal Revenue Service</a> (IRS) estimates that the gross tax gap amounts to at least $688 billion, resulting from Americans’ non-filing, underpaying, and underreporting of their taxes.
In a Thursday press release, the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-updates-tax-gap-projections-for-2020-2021-projected-annual-gap-rises-to-688-billion" target="_blank" rel="noopener">characterized</a> the tax gap increase as “a significant jump” from previous years’ estimates, though noncompliance was at around 15 percent. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said that the agency would apply Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds into compliance efforts, namely targeting those with higher incomes and wealth.
“With the help of Inflation Reduction Act funding, we are adding focus and resources to areas of compliance concern, including high-income and high-wealth individuals, partnerships and corporations,” said Werfel. “These steps are urgent in many ways, including adding more fairness to the tax system, protecting those who pay their taxes and working to combat the tax gap.”
Last month, the IRS <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-to-establish-special-pass-through-organization-to-help-with-high-income-compliance-efforts-new-workgroup-to-blend-current-employees-and-new-hires-to-focus-on-complex-partnerships-other-key-areas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it would establish a 3,700-member special pass-through organization within its Large Business and International (LB&amp;I) Division to assist in raising high-income compliance. The newest LB&amp;I Division followed an earlier <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-announces-sweeping-effort-to-restore-fairness-to-tax-system-with-inflation-reduction-act-funding-new-compliance-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> pledging to “shift attention to [the] wealthy from working-class taxpayers” using an Artificial Intelligence-bolstered detection system.
The IRS promised to ensure audit rates wouldn’t increase for those earning less than $400,000 annually and additional safeguards for those claiming the Earned Income Tax Credit. It also promised to began investigations into 75 of the largest industry partnerships in the nation by the end of the month.
Earlier this week, the IRS <a href="https://microsoft.gcs-web.com/node/31951/html%23d530324dex991.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Microsoft it owed $28.9 billion in tax for 2004 to 2013, plus penalties and interest. Microsoft responded that it disagreed with the IRS determination, and that it has paid over $67 billion in taxes since 2004. Microsoft also said its taxes paid under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would decrease the IRS estimation by up to $10 billion.
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In the largest audit in U.S. history, the IRS rejected Microsoft’s attempts to channel profits to a small factory in Puerto Rico that burned Windows software onto CDs. <a href="https://t.co/Kr460cDtnf">https://t.co/Kr460cDtnf</a>
&mdash; ProPublica (@propublica) <a href="https://twitter.com/propublica/status/1712845812592410674?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
According to the IRS, one percent in compliance equals about $46 billion in collections. That 15 percent noncompliance, therefore, amounts to about $688 billion.
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Last year’s compliance efforts yielded over $4.9 trillion in taxes, penalties, interest, and user fees.
The IRS noted in Thursday’s announcement that it anticipated its enforcement efforts and taxpayers’ late payments to shrink the tax gap by $63 billion, achieving 86.3 percent compliance. The projected share of taxes paid between 2014-2016 was 87 percent. The IRS stated that the decline in compliance was due to changes in types of income and how that income is reported, not a shift in compliance behavior.
Taxes owed due to nonfiling increased from $41 billion in 2017-2019 to $77 billion in 2021. Taxes owed due to underreporting increased from $445 billion in 2017-2019 to $542 billion in 2021. Taxes owed due to underpayment increased from $64 billion in 2017-2019 to $68 billion in 2021.
However, the IRS noted that noncompliance may be greater than their estimates. The agency cited their shortcomings in oversight on pandemic credits, offshore activities, digital assets, cryptocurrency, corporate income tax, and income from flow-through entities and illegal activities as factors that likely rendered their $688 billion figure too low.
The IRS also announced that the estimate was the first given for a single tax year, breaking away from prior practice of issuing biennial tax gap projections.
Tax gap estimates and projections rely on compliance behavior derived from the most recent completed audits. This latest estimate was gleaned from the 2014-2016 tax years’ audits. The IRS estimated the tax liability to have increased by 38 percent from those years to 2021.

Taxes

IRS Estimates American Underpayment Caused $688 Billion Tax Gap

Economy

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)

Money

U.S.

Hollywood star <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mario-lopez-dangerous-children-choose-their-gender-paul-bois" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mario Lopez</a> torched California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state leaders over what&#8217;s being called the &#8220;Skittles ban&#8221; — which would prohibit the sale of any candy in California that&#8217;s made with red dye No. 3 — amid the state&#8217;s persistent rise in crime and homelessness.
The 50-year-old actor posted on Monday on <a href="https://twitter.com/mariolopezviva/status/1711565605646770412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">X</a> in response to a headline that read, &#8220;California becomes the first U.S. state to ban Skittles and 12,000 additional products for cancer-causing additives&#8221; after Newsom signed the California Food Safety Act, Assembly <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB418" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill 418</a>.
&#8220;Crime is through the roof, worst drug epidemic ever &amp; homelessness at an all time high in CA… Let&#8217;s focus on Skittles,&#8221; Lopez wrote.
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Crime is through the roof, worst drug epidemic ever &amp; homelessness at an all time high in CA… Let’s focus on Skittles <a href="https://t.co/ohWQcUcQjf">pic.twitter.com/ohWQcUcQjf</a>
&mdash; Mario Lopez (@mariolopezviva) <a href="https://twitter.com/mariolopezviva/status/1711565605646770412?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The bill will <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/09/health/california-governor-bans-red-dye-no-3-wellness/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prohibit</a> the sale, distribution, or manufacture of food products containing red dye No. 3, brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, and propylparaben — ingredients that can be <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2023/10/california-first-state-enact-ban-four-harmful-chemicals-food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> in candy, cereal, soda, and other processed food sold and produced in the state.
The chair of the state Assembly Committee on Privacy and Consumer Protection, Jesse Gabriel, praised the move by the governor.
&#8220;The Governor’s signature today represents a huge step forward in our effort to protect children and families in California from dangerous and toxic chemicals in our food supply,&#8221; <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2023/10/california-first-state-enact-ban-four-harmful-chemicals-food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gabriel</a> said.
&#8220;It&#8217;s unacceptable that the U.S. is so far behind the rest of the world when it comes to food safety,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This bill will not ban any foods or products – it simply will require food companies to make minor modifications to their recipes and switch to the safer alternative ingredients that they already use in Europe and so many other places around the globe.&#8221;
Red dye No. 3 is used in candies like Skittles, Trolli gummies, and Nerds, along with instant rice and potato products, boxed cake mixes, and some protein shakes, according to the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/foodscores/ingredients/19151-RED3/search/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Environmental Working Group&#8217;s Eat Well Guide</a>.
Newsom&#8217;s ban mimics Europe&#8217;s, where these four chemicals, &#8220;due to scientific studies that have demonstrated significant public health harms, including increased risk of cancer, behavioral issues in children, harm to the reproductive system, and damage to the immune system,&#8221; are already banned. The California &#8220;Skittles ban&#8221; will not be implemented until 2027.
In the last year, there&#8217;s been a massive exodus out of the state by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-is-not-america-why-so-many-celebrities-are-leaving-los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">celebrities</a> and residents due to skyrocketing crime, high taxes, and massive homelessness as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Golden State</a> continues to fall into chaos under Newsom.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/superman-actor-dean-cain-admits-he-never-thought-hed-leave-ca-but-says-government-has-ruined-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8216;Superman&#8217; Actor Dean Cain Admits He Never Thought He&#8217;d Leave CA, But Says Government Has Ruined It</a>

Premiere Of Disney Pictures And Lucasfilm’s “Solo: A Star Wars Story” – Arrivals

‘Crime Is Through The Roof’: Hollywood Star Mario Lopez Torches Newsom’s ‘Skittles Ban’

'Crime Is Through The Roof’: Hollywood Star Mario Lopez Torches Newsom's 'Skittles Ban'

California

Celebrities

Crime

Entertainment

Gavin Newsom

Hollywood

Homelessness

Skittles

Former &#8220;Superman&#8221; actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-dean-cain-shares-his-journey-from-superman-to-unabashed-patriot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean Cain</a> admitted he never thought he would leave the state of California or his &#8220;forever home,&#8221; but said the &#8220;most ridiculous large government,&#8221; &#8220;incredible taxation,&#8221; and more in the state has ruined it.
The 57-year-old actor opened up about his decision to moved out of his home in Malibu in May and relocate to Las Vegas, asking if leaders were trying to &#8220;tax people&#8221; out of the state, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/dean-cain-says-had-get-out-california-land-of-ridiculousness" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News</a> reported.
&#8220;My home in Malibu was going to be my forever home,&#8221; Cain told the outlet. &#8220;That was where I was going to die, and everything was going to be just fine. You can&#8217;t beat the weather. And I had a lovely house with the most incredible views. Governments can ruin an area.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/RealDeanCain?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RealDeanCain</a> says he ‘had to get out&#8217; of California: ‘Land of ridiculousness’ <a href="https://t.co/TdIMwzoELT">https://t.co/TdIMwzoELT</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1711320621689258107?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 9, 2023</a></blockquote>
&#8220;And that&#8217;s what&#8217;s going on in California,&#8221; he added. &#8220;What is happening under [Democratic Governor] Gavin Newsom and the Democratic leadership in the House, in Congress, people I did not vote for. People did in California vote for it. I didn&#8217;t.&#8221;
&#8220;But it&#8217;s the most ridiculous large government, incredible taxation, horrible regulations for business. Very anti-business,&#8221; Cain continued. &#8220;The personal income tax is 13, the highest levels, 13, 13.2, whatever it happens to be. You&#8217;re getting hit with the highest gas tax in the nation. Sales tax, food tax, energy tax, natural gas tax. It&#8217;s as though they&#8217;re trying to tax people out of there.&#8221;
The &#8220;Out of Time&#8221; star joins other actors <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hollywood-is-not-america-why-so-many-celebrities-are-leaving-los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exiting the state</a> like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mark-wahlberg-ditching-hollywood-for-nevada-gave-his-kids-the-chance-to-thrive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mark Wahlberg</a>, who also recently picked up his whole family and left California for Nevada.
&#8220;It&#8217;s really giving the kids a chance to thrive,&#8221; the 52-year-old actor previously told <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/mark-wahlberg-moved-out-hollywood-could-give-children-chance-thrive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox News Digital</a> about moving his family to Las Vegas.
&#8220;It just has the best of both worlds,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I know a lot of people, when they think Las Vegas, they think the Strip. But just about 15, 20 minutes away, there&#8217;s a whole lot of other amazing areas that are all about family and community.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/superman-dean-cain-says-despite-loving-california-terrible-policies-have-forced-him-to-leave" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dean Cain Says Despite Loving California, &#8216;Terrible&#8217; Policies Have Forced Him To Leave</a>

Dean Cain

‘Superman’ Actor Dean Cain Admits He Never Thought He’d Leave CA, But Says Government Has Ruined It

government

The U.S. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/department-of-justice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Department of Justice</a> announced criminal charges on Friday against a contractor with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who is accused of stealing the tax returns of former President Donald Trump and distributing the material to the media.
Federal law enforcement officials announced the charges against 38-year-old Charles Edward Littlejohn, who was a contractor with the IRS from 2018 to 2020. The company that Littlejohn was working for was not identified and it was not clear &#8220;why a contractor had access to sensitive taxpayer information that is supposed to be protected by numerous legal and procedural safeguards,&#8221; The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/us/politics/irs-contractor-charged-with-leaking-tax-returns.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a>.
&#8220;While Defendant was working on an IRS contract, he stole tax returns and return information associated with Public Official A and thousands of the nation&#8217;s wealthiest people, including returns and return information dating back more than 15 years,&#8221; court documents <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24000154/irs-contractor-charges.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">say</a>. &#8220;He thereafter disclosed the tax information associated with Public Official A to News Organization 1 and the other tax information to News Organization 2. Both news organizations published numerous articles describing the tax information they obtained from the Defendant.&#8221;
While the identity of Public Official A is not mentioned in the court documents, numerous publications <a href="https://apnews.com/article/leak-tax-return-irs-charges-213909430bcaf8b50600d67bfe45f89a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Trump is the figure in question.
The two news organizations, which were also not mentioned in the charging documents, were The New York Times and ProPublica, according to various media <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/29/politics/irs-contractor-trump-taxes/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reports</a>. The news organizations have not been accused of any wrongdoing.
Littlejohn was charged with one count of Disclosure of Tax Return and Return Information and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.
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The charging documents <a href="https://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/24000154/irs-contractor-charges.pdf">said</a> that if Littlejohn is convicted, &#8220;all property he has used in violating the provisions of the internal revenue laws is subject to forfeiture.&#8221;

Donald Trump Speaks In South Carolina As He Campaigns For President

DOJ Announces Criminal Charges Against Man For Allegedly Stealing Trump Tax Info, Leaking It To Media

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

schiff pic

‘The Government Can Destroy Anyone’: How An IRS-Led Global Alliance Ruined An Innocent American Banker

'The Government Can Destroy Anyone': How An IRS-Led Global Alliance Ruined An Innocent American Banker

Australia

Banking

Corruption

Law Enforcement

Media Bias

Puerto Rico

Leftist allies of Chicago&#8217;s new Mayor Brandon Johnson have proposed a budget plan that would tax the rich and businesses, and would effectively defund police in a city already nearly crippled by crime.
The <a href="https://acrecampaigns.org/research_post/first-we-get-the-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget plan</a> was proposed by ACRE, the Action Center on Race and the Economy, in conjunction with the People&#8217;s Unity Platform and is titled &#8220;$12 Billion for a Just Chicago.&#8221; The first page begins with step one of the plan: &#8220;First we get the money.&#8221;
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The plan also calls for eliminating all current vacant positions at the Chicago Police Department AND cutting the CPD budget by 9%.
&mdash; Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomBevanRCP/status/1658850985874190346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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One of the plan&#8217;s authors, Saqib Bhatti, was a member of Johnson&#8217;s transition team.
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Big congratulations to ACRE&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/snbhatti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@snbhatti</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/FREEwrites_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FREEwrites_</a> for being named to two transition subcommittees for mayor-elect Brandon Johnson &amp; working toward a stronger, more equitable, safer Chicago. <a href="https://t.co/oZPZr0tUFI">https://t.co/oZPZr0tUFI</a>
&mdash; ACRE (@ACREcampaigns) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACREcampaigns/status/1653044102940819459?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2023</a></blockquote>
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ACRE touted the budget plan in a tweet claiming it would &#8220;reimagine everything in the city from policing to climate justice, housing &amp; more.&#8221;
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🚨🚨🚨 New report alert! 🚨🚨🚨
Learn how a moral budget for Chicago would reimagine everything in the city from policing to climate justice, housing &amp; more: <a href="https://t.co/o9Q4pWm11R">https://t.co/o9Q4pWm11R</a> <a href="https://t.co/fW7zCn0BS5">pic.twitter.com/fW7zCn0BS5</a>
&mdash; ACRE (@ACREcampaigns) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACREcampaigns/status/1658865069222944774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The <a href="https://acrecampaigns.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/First-We-Get-the-Money.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget plan</a> calls for $12 billion in new taxes — which would reportedly come in part from reducing the Chicago Police Department <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2023/01/02/sparing-residents-tax-hikes-months-election-chicago-s-2023-budget-takes-effect#:~:text=The%20Chicago%20Police%20Department%27s%20budget,a%20total%20of%20%241.94%20billion." target="_blank" rel="noopener">budget</a> ($1.94 billion in 2023) by 9%, or approximately $175 million. The city would also eliminate all current police department vacancies – which, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2022/8/31/23331411/cpd-chicago-police-vacancies-detectives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in August of 2022</a>, amounted to over 900 patrol officer vacancies and over 100 detective vacancies.
Corporations — or any business with at least 50 employees — would face a &#8220;head tax&#8221; of $33 per employee, which the report estimated would bring in $106 million in new revenue. Anyone making more than $100,000 would face an additional 3.5% income tax – totaling approximately $1.2 billion. The city&#8217;s top 10% of earners would also get hit with a .4% wealth tax – amounting to $960 million annually.
A real estate transfer tax on transactions of over $1 million — which the report states would generate $1.63 million in revenue — would be used to fund housing projects that the report claims would &#8220;eliminate homelessness.&#8221;
The plan also demanded that Chicago refuse to use any federal money to fund law enforcement or Wall Street interests, arguing that investing that money in public housing would contribute more to community safety.
The conclusion, according to ACRE, was that the city&#8217;s budget had to be approached from a morality standpoint – and that previous budgets had not done so to their satisfaction.
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&#8220;A city budget is a moral document. A moral budget should reflect residents’ priorities and needs. The challenges Black and Brown communities in Chicago are facing today are a direct reflection of the immoral budgets that mayors and alderpeople have imposed on residents for decades,&#8221; the report stated, claiming that Chicago&#8217;s policing system had always been &#8220;racist&#8221; and had not contributed to safer communities.

Brandon Johnson Is Sworn In As The 57th Mayor Of Chicago

‘First We Get The Money’: Chicago’s New Mayor Linked To Wild Budget Proposal That Attacks Businesses And Cops

Chicago's New Mayor Linked To Wild Budget Proposal That Attacks Businesses And Cops

Brandon Johnson

Chicago

Defund The Police

Economics

Illinois

Lori Lightfoot

Politics

President Joe Biden&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/aoc-wants-credit-for-bidens-green-energy-agenda-let-her-have-it" target="_blank" rel="noopener">green energy boondoggle</a> keeps getting bigger by the hundreds of billions of dollars, according to a new study.
On Friday, Just The News <a href="https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/bidens-green-agenda-cost-least-600-billion-more-projected-analysis-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that a new University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business model predicts that the cost of Biden&#8217;s oft-touted climate change bill — the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hey-neat-spend-1000-on-green-energy-and-the-feds-will-give-you-a-300-tax-credit-to-reduce-inflation-thanks-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Inflation Reduction Act</a> — will now cost the U.S. taxpayers more than $1 trillion.
&#8220;The 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contained a range of climate and energy provisions that <a class="link" href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/issues/2022/8/12/senate-passed-inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">PWBM previously estimated</a> to cost $384.9 billion over 10 years,&#8221; Penn <a href="https://budgetmodel.wharton.upenn.edu/estimates/2023/4/27/update-cost-climate-and-energy-inflation-reduction-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a press release. &#8220;Since that estimate, newer implementation details have emerged, and the fiscal year calendar has moved to start at FY2023. Our updated estimate for over 10 years (FY2023 – 2032) for just the climate and energy provisions is now $1,045 billion.&#8221;
Much of that comes from subsidizing the &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/shocker-new-york-would-ban-gas-stoves-in-new-buildings-under-potential-budget-deal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electrification of everything</a>,&#8221; as some have called it. Here&#8217;s exactly what that money will be going toward over the next 10 years:
<ul>
<li>Clean electricity/energy ($263 billion)</li>
<li>Clean Hydrogen ($49 billion)</li>
<li>Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage ($23 billion)</li>
<li>Advanced Manufacturing ($183 billion)</li>
<li>Clean vehicles ($393 billion)</li>
<li>Biofuels ($43 billion)</li>
<li>Energy efficiency ($28 billion)</li>
<li>Agriculture and forestry ($3 billion)</li>
<li>Energy grants and loans ($37 billion)</li>
<li>Air pollution ($22 billion)</li>
</ul>
Who will be in charge of doling that money out? Democratic lackey John Podesta. Will Podesta make sure that all of that money goes toward American companies? It doesn&#8217;t look likely. In March, he said that Chinese companies will have a big part to play in America&#8217;s energy future.
Even Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) took issue with Podesta over the comments.
&#8220;It is beyond irresponsible for someone speaking on behalf of the White House to not only condone but also advocate for sending American tax dollars to Chinese companies,&#8221; Manchin told Fox News. &#8220;That is not consistent with either the IRA or the CHIPS + Science Act, which had widespread bipartisan support due to concerns about Chinese supply chains.&#8221;
That Podesta would want to funnel U.S. tax dollars overseas to the Chinese Communist Party shouldn&#8217;t come as much of a surprise. Podesta is good friends with at least one CCP official, Fox News also <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-new-clean-energy-czar-highest-regard-ccp-official-called-friend" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in September 2022.
Other Democratic allies are lining up to make sure they take advantage of the government spending over the next decade. Twice-failed gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams is <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-now-throwing-her-weight-around-with-group-advocating-gas-stove-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">now working with Rewiring America</a>, a group that advocates the heavy regulation of gas stoves, arguing instead for electric appliances.
The founders of Rewiring America — Alex Laskey, Saul Griffith, and Ari Matusiak — have made significant money off government funding in the green energy sphere while advocating for policies that benefit their bottom dollar via the non-profit group.
“It’s a shocking amount of money that they’re hauling in with this scheme of theirs,” Tom Pyle, the president of the Institute for Energy Research, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/stacey-abrams-now-throwing-her-weight-around-with-group-advocating-gas-stove-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News. “I call it Big Green Inc. It is literally a business for these guys and they cloak themselves in the mantra of trying to save the planet. But, really, this is just very sophisticated self-dealing.”
It appears that the scheme now has more than a trillion reasons to continue, thanks to the seemingly never-ending price increase of the Inflation Reduction Act.
The views expressed in this piece are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Joe Biden

Biden’s Green Energy Boondoggle Keeps Getting Bigger

Biden's Green Energy Boondoggle Keeps Getting Bigger

Climate Change

electric vehicles

Global Warming

Green New Deal

Inflation Reduction Act

Weather

Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bernie-sanders" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bernie Sanders</a> (I-VT) said in an interview this week that he believes that all money people make over $999 million per year should be confiscated by the government.
The socialist senator made the remarks during an interview with Chris Wallace on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;Who&#8217;s Talking to Chris Wallace.&#8221;
&#8220;Sir, you&#8217;re saying that billionaires should not exist,&#8221; Wallace said. &#8220;So are you basically saying that once you get to $999 million, that the government should confiscate all the rest?&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m saying that we should go back to a very progressive tax policy like what we had under Dwight D. Eisenhower,&#8221; Sanders said.
&#8220;Which would mean that, over a billion dollars, it basically all goes to the government?&#8221; Wallace pressed.
&#8220;Yeah,&#8221; Sanders responded. &#8220;You may disagree with me, fine. Yeah, I think people can make it on $999 million.&#8221;
WATCH:
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
&quot;Are you basically saying that once you get to $999 million, the government should confiscate all the rest?&quot;
BERNIE SANDERS: &quot;I&#39;m saying that we should go back to a very progressive tax policy.&quot;
&quot;Over $1 billion basically all goes to the government?&quot;
SANDERS: &quot;Yeah&quot; <a href="https://t.co/YmIpTpI1oy">pic.twitter.com/YmIpTpI1oy</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1652357628708700161?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Senate Committee Holds Nomination Hearing For Julie Su To Be Labor Secretary

Bernie Sanders Calls For Confiscating All Money People Make Over $999 Million Per Year

Bernie Sanders

Convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh has been indicted on tax evasion charges for allegedly failing to report more than $2.1 million in income he earned in 2020 and 2021 through illegal activity.
Murdaugh had been previously indicted on tax evasion charges for actions that allegedly took place between 2011 and 2019, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/alex-murdaugh-indicted-tax-evasion-charges-new/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. In total, Murdaugh has been indicted 20 times on 101 charges, including fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Part of the charges includes an alleged scheme to defraud the disgraced attorney’s clients out of nearly $9 million and failing to pay more than $600,000 in taxes to the state of South Carolina.
The latest indictment for tax evasion comes nearly two months after Murdaugh was found guilty of killing his wife, Maggie, and youngest son, Paul. The decision came after just a few hours of deliberation and a six-week trial where more than 70 witnesses testified. Murdaugh has maintained his innocence, suggesting his son Paul was the main target for the murders due to his involvement in a 2019 boat crash that killed 19-year-old Mallory Beach.
Murdaugh spent nearly two days testifying in his own defense at his trial and immediately admitted to lying for years about his whereabouts on the day his wife and son were murdered.
The prosecution had already argued that Murdaugh lied about not going to the dog kennels on the day his wife and son were murdered. Prosecutor Creighton Waters previously pointed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cell-phone-evidence-puts-disgraced-attorney-alex-murdaugh-at-scene-of-family-murder-prosecutors-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to cell phone evidence</a> taken from Paul’s phone less than five minutes before he was killed. Paul had filmed one of the dogs to send to a friend, and prosecutors allege Murdaugh’s voice can be heard in the background of the recording. Murdaugh has said he wasn’t at the kennels that night. Prosecutors allege that Murdaugh murdered his wife and son around 8:49 p.m., just a few minutes after the video was taken.
When Murdaugh took the stand, his defense attorneys asked him if he had lied to police about his whereabouts on the night his family was murdered, and Murdaugh admitted to lying.
“I lied about being down there, and I’m so sorry that I did,” Murdaugh said, <a href="https://people.com/crime/alex-murdaugh-admits-lying-police-murders-wife-son/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to People Magazine</a>.
Murdaugh maintained that he did not murder his wife and son, whom he referred to by nicknames “Mags” and “Paul Paul.” He claimed during his testimony that his alleged drug addiction made him “paranoid,” which caused him to lie.
“As my addiction evolved over time I would get in these situations or circumstances where I would get paranoid,” Murdaugh testified. “I’m sorry I lied.”
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Murdaugh also testified that his son Paul was receiving threats over his involvement in the boat crash that killed Beach. Paul was indicted on one count of boating under the influence causing death and two counts of causing significant bodily injury.
“Paul got the most vile threats — the stuff that was on social media — you couldn’t believe it,” Murdaugh testified, <a href="https://people.com/crime/alex-murdaugh-claims-sons-killer-angry-fatal-2019-boat-crash-threats/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to People</a>. “You couldn’t believe it. It was so over the top, truthfully we didn’t think anything about it, it was so crazy. People talking about what he was going to get. … We disregarded it. It was so over the top.”
If convicted of tax evasion, Murdaugh faces up to five years in prison and/or a fine of up to $10,000 plus attorneys fees, CBS reported. He is already serving two consecutive life sentences for the murders of his family members.

Alex Murdaugh

Alex Murdaugh, Serving Two Life Sentences For Murder, Charged With Additional Tax Evasion

Convicted Murderer Alex Murdaugh Charged With Additional Tax Evasion

Murder

South Carolina

Americans can expect lower <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/taxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax</a> returns this year, a phenomenon which comes as <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inflation</a> and broader economic volatility continue to rattle household finances.
The average tax refund amount issued by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/internal-revenue-service-irs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">IRS</a> is $2,878 this year, according to <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/filing-season-statistics-for-week-ending-april-7-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the tax enforcement agency posted earlier this month, which marks a 9.3% decrease from the $3,175 average tax refund seen last year. The total amount of refunds provided to taxpayers likewise fell from $222 billion last year to $199 billion this year.
The IRS indeed <a href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-kicks-off-2023-tax-filing-season-with-returns-due-april-18" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> earlier this year that “many taxpayers may find their refunds somewhat lower” as various tax law changes enter into effect. Parents are no longer able to receive the advance child tax credit, an advance on the child tax credits formerly enacted by the American Rescue Plan, while taxpayers who did not receive stimulus checks will no longer be able to claim a recovery rebate credit.
“It’s reasonable to expect that many people will receive smaller tax refunds this year,” Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst Ted Rossman said in a <a href="https://www.bankrate.com/taxes/tax-return-survey/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> last month. “That’s mostly because many pandemic-related tax breaks have expired: stimulus payments, the expanded child tax credit and the expanded child and dependent care credit, to name a few.”
Bankrate found in a recent survey that 45% of tax filers expected a refund this year, while 19% expected to owe the government and 16% expected to break even. Some 43% of respondents consider the refunds “very important” to their financial situations, while 32% consider them “somewhat important.”
Several additional polls over the past several months have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/more-americans-say-they-are-worse-off-financially-than-any-other-time-since-the-great-recession" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shown</a> that rising costs of living, which come as a result of record inflation, are producing a sense of economic pessimism. Headline inflation was charted at 5.0% in March 2023, according to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/headline-inflation-edges-downward-even-as-costs-for-many-key-items-continue-to-soar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a decline from the 9.1% rate charted in June 2022. Real wages, which consider the effect of inflation on nominal pay increases, fell 1.3% year-over-year as of March 2023, according to more <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/realer.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The present tax season, which requires most filers to submit their returns on April 18, is the first since the Inflation Reduction Act provided the IRS with an $80 billion windfall to double the size of its workforce. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy1333" target="_blank" rel="noopener">testified</a> before the House Ways and Means Committee last month that the funds resulted in taxpayers receiving “drastically improved customer service” because staffers were equipped to answer “hundreds of thousands more phone calls during this filing season than at this time last year.”
Yellen likewise vowed that the funds would not be used to increase audit rates for American households earning less than $400,000 per year “relative to historical levels.” She <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/janet-yellen-vows-irs-audits-wont-rise-for-middle-income-americans-but-theres-a-catch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">failed</a> to clarify that “historical levels” of enforcement were far higher as recently as one decade ago: audit rates for Americans earning between $25,000 and $200,000 declined 76% between 2010 and 2019, according to <a href="https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-22-104960.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Government Accountability Office.
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Various proposals from the IRS which appear to be targeted toward average households rather than high earners have raised concerns that the newly enlarged agency will implement more intense scrutiny for all taxpayers. One proposed rule would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/irs-moves-to-go-after-workers-tips-as-biden-promises-middle-class-wont-be-taxed-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increase</a> reporting compliance for individuals who earn tips, while another would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-christmas-miracle-irs-delays-600-reporting-rule-for-paypal-and-venmo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">require</a> Americans to report transactions above $600 made with payment settlement organizations such as PayPal and Venmo.

IRS Headquarters

Happy Tax Day: Americans Are Receiving Much Lower Tax Refunds This Year

Americans Are Receiving Significantly Lower IRS Refunds This Year

Inflation

Residents of several cities in the United States require a salary much higher than $100,000 to feel as if they are earning six figures due to elevated <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/inflation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">costs</a> of living and aggressive <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/taxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taxes</a>, according to a recent <a href="https://smartasset.com/data-studies/new-100k-how-taxes-costs-affect-us-cities-2023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from SmartAsset.
The financial technology company found that residents of Honolulu, New York City, and San Francisco require salaries between $310,000 and $312,000 to earn the equivalent of $100,000 in an average part of the country since high earners in the three cities face tax rates above 40% and living expenses more than 80% above the national average.
“Those with a $100,000 salary earn more than double the median individual income for 2021, which might imply financial comfort on first glance. But when accounting for taxes and cost of living in America’s largest cities, those six figures will feel much smaller,” SmartAsset said in the analysis. “Ultimately, to have the purchasing power of $100,000, you will have to earn a substantially higher salary.”
Oakland, Los Angeles, and Long Beach followed the other cities with respect to the gross income needed to “feel like” one takes home $100,000. Residents of the cities see costs of living roughly 50% greater than the national average, partially due to expensive real estate, while income taxes approach 40% in Oakland and nearly 38% in Los Angeles and Long Beach. “California cities require the highest gross incomes of any state,” SmartAsset noted.
With an effective tax rate of 13.5%, California is among the most heavily taxed states in the nation, according to an <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Tax Foundation. The state also has among the most progressive income tax systems, meaning that wealthy households supply an outsized portion of revenues relative to other households, according to an <a href="https://itep.org/whopays/#:~:text=Some%20states%2C%20such%20as%20California,have%20very%20progressive%20income%20taxes." target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
The most affordable cities for high earners, on the other hand, are Memphis, El Paso, and Oklahoma City, where residents need salaries between $117,000 and $120,000 to “feel like” they are earning $100,000. Cities in Texas, such as Corpus Christi, Lubbock, and Houston, are also among the most affordable for individuals earning six figures, who can “feel like” they are earning $100,000 with salaries between $121,000 and $125,000.
“In general, states with no state income taxes have an edge when it comes to overall purchasing power,” SmartAsset added. States without income taxes include Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.
Population trends over the three years since the lockdown-induced recession broadly match the difficulty of earning robust incomes in cities with high costs of living and tax rates, as well as recent trends in crime and the extent to which lockdowns impacted business recovery.
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Data released by the Census Bureau at the end of last month <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-fastest-growing-and-fastest-shrinking-counties-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">demonstrate</a> that counties home to major cities in California, Illinois, and New York witnessed the nation’s most stark numeric population decline last year, while those home to major cities in Arizona, Texas, and Florida saw the largest numeric population growth. An analysis from the Economic Innovation Group noted that domestic outmigration from large urban counties <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-million-people-bolted-from-americas-major-cities-since-the-lockdowns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surpassed</a> two million residents in 2021 and 2022, a trend that contributed to a population increase in the suburbs and exurbs.

US-TOURISM-HAWAII

A $300,000 Salary Feels Like $100,000 In These Three Expensive Cities, Analysis Finds

A $300,000 Salary Feels Like $100,000 In These Expensive Cities

Population

Three <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/energy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electric</a> utility companies in <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> proposed a fixed-rate billing plan under which high-income households would <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/taxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pay</a> more than low-income households.
California Democratic Gov. <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> signed a <a href="https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB205/2021" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bill</a> last summer requiring energy utilities to impose a “rate component” in their power bills to collect revenues to fund the state’s energy infrastructure. <a href="https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2023-04-11/a-fixed-monthly-charge-is-coming-to-your-electric-bill-will-it-make-caifornia-rates-more-affordable">According</a> to the Los Angeles Times, the law requires &#8220;a fixed monthly charge based on household income.&#8221; Pacific Gas and Electric, Southern California Edison, and San Diego Gas and Electric recently introduced a proposal intended to reduce fees for most households by imposing higher costs on wealthier families, a plan which the California Public Utilities Commission must approve by the middle of next year.
“We have listened to and heard from our customers that fundamental change is needed to provide bill relief,” SDG&amp;E CEO Caroline Winn said in a <a href="https://www.sdgenews.com/article/sdge-submits-rate-reform-proposal-designed-stabilize-and-lower-energy-bills" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “When we were putting together the reform proposal, front and center in our mind were customers who live paycheck to paycheck, who struggle to pay for essentials such as, energy, housing and food.”
California households with income less than $28,000 per year would pay a $15 fixed fee on their monthly electric bills in SCE and PG&amp;E areas, while those in SDG&amp;E areas would pay $24 per month. Families with annual incomes between $28,000 and $69,000 would pay $20 per month in SCE areas, $34 per month in SDG&amp;E areas, and $30 per month in PG&amp;E areas. Those with income between $69,000 and $180,000 would meanwhile pay $51 per month in SCE and PG&amp;E areas and $73 per month in SDG&amp;E areas.
The most severe monthly fees would occur for households with annual income above $180,000, which would pay $85 per month in SCE areas, $92 per month in PG&amp;E areas, and $128 per month in SDG&amp;E areas, according to details of the plan published by local news outlets.
“We understand that our customers are dealing with rising costs of all kinds and are working to keep customers’ bills as manageable as possible,” SCE CEO Steven Powell said in another <a href="https://energized.edison.com/stories/sce-proposes-bill-relief-for-lower-income-customers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>. “SCE believes an income-based fixed charge will provide benefits to millions of customers, particularly those most in need of energy bill relief. It will also make it easier for more Californians to afford clean energy technologies.”
The legislation says that California, while a “leader in driving the affordable and equitable transition to a clean reliable energy system,” experiences grid disruptions from “extreme events from climate change, including heat waves, wildfires, and drought, combined with other factors, such as supply chain disruptions.”
With an effective tax rate of 13.5%, California is among the most heavily taxed states in the country, according to an <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Tax Foundation. The state also has among the most progressive income tax systems in the nation, meaning that wealthy households supply an outsized portion of state revenues relative to other households, according to another <a href="https://itep.org/whopays/#:~:text=Some%20states%2C%20such%20as%20California,have%20very%20progressive%20income%20taxes." target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy.
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Voters in California recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-blue-state-passes-another-blue-state-rejects-hefty-new-taxes-on-millionaires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a millionaire tax hike on a ballot measure during the midterm elections but <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/los-angeles-realtors-scramble-to-sell-posh-estates-before-new-mansion-tax-enters-into-effect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved</a> a measure that imposed a “mansion tax” for the sale of certain luxury real estate. More recent legislative proposals include a “worldwide wealth” tax that would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-bill-would-create-new-worldwide-wealth-tax-even-for-people-who-flee-the-state" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impact</a> both current and former California residents, who would have to pay based on the value of assets such as stocks, savings accounts, art collectibles, and pension funds.

California Power

California Electric Companies Propose Higher Earners Pay Greater Fees Than Lower Earners Under New State Law

California Electric Companies Propose Higher Earners Pay Greater Fees Than Lower-Income Households Under New State Law

Energy

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