REP. CHARLES RANGEL PROPOSES NEW BILL TO HAVE STRICTER PUNISHMENT BY IRS FOR TAX MISTAKES - New York Post
Last updated: 9:59 am
September 1, 2009
Posted: 2:31 am
September 1, 2009
WASHINGTON -- Even as he fends off accusations about his own failure to pay taxes and fully disclose his financial dealings, Rep. Charles Rangel had quietly slipped into the health-care bill broad new provisions cracking down on taxpayers in proceedings with the IRS, The Post has learned.
The changes approved by the House Ways and Means Committee that Rangel chairs would strip away legal defenses and pile higher penalties on corporate and individual taxpayers facing IRS proceedings for what they claim are unintentional mistakes, experts said.
Rangel's bill would:
* Punish those who fail to alert the IRS to potentially questionable tax exemptions.
* Bar the IRS from waiving penalties against taxpayers who clearly erred in good faith.
* Double fines in certain circumstances.
"The bill raises penalties and eliminates many of the reasonable defenses that taxpayers have always been able to use when honest mistakes are uncovered," one lawyer told The Post.
In fact, the bill increases fines "in some cases even for honest mistakes," the expert added.
Republicans yesterday ripped Rangel's attempt to go after taxpayers, given his own failure to pay taxes on rental income from his villa in the Dominican Republic and his extensive reporting problems with his financial-disclosure statements to Congress.
"It is highly ironic that Chairman Rangel continues to work to crack down on American taxpayers who make honest mistakes on their tax forms when he himself has failed to pay his own staggering tax bills," said Michael Steel, spokesman for Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio).
"Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi should force him to step aside as chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee until this baffling array of allegations are resolved."
In addition to $75,000 in rental income he failed to report to the IRS a few years ago, Rangel recently filed new papers revealing he neglected to disclose to Congress more than $1.3 million in income and $3 million in business deals between 2002 and 2006.
The Post reported last week that he also failed to pay taxes on property in New Jersey that he neglected for years to disclose he owned.
His office maintains he is now up to date on all his taxes.
The Rangel plan also would prevent the IRS from waiving punishment in cases where tax officials thought the penalty was excessive.
Under another provision, the IRS would require that taxpayers self-report areas where they may have gone over the line seeking tax advantages. If they fail to self-report and problems are found, tax penalties skyrocket.
The IRS becomes "judge, jury and executioner," said a lobbyist.
In one provision, the measure doubles the fine against the taxpayer from 20 percent of the underpayment to 40 percent.
As with many of the complex tax provisions buried in the 1,018-page bill, the severity of the self-reporting language is a matter of debate.
Advocates argue that the provision is intended only to go after flagrant tax cheats, but that's not clearly spelled out.
Pay attention Timmy, Tommy, Kathleen and all you other Obama tax cheats. And here I thought this was about our moral obligation to provide healthcare for those in need???
Replies
5Banned
its just a matter of time before rangel gets his day in court and i for one cant wait.
senator stevens (r-ak) gets indicted for $250k, but rangel who writes tax laws and wants to further punish those who make errors is free to do what he wants at atleast $500k. and thats what we know of not including his many write-off's.
another example on how partisan pelosi is all while saying she'll govern in a bipartisan way.
the liberal hypocrisy is absolutely incredible!!!! bring on 2010!!!!
senator stevens (r-ak) gets indicted for $250k, but rangel who writes tax laws and wants to further punish those who make errors is free to do what he wants at atleast $500k. and thats what we know of not including his many write-off's.
another example on how partisan pelosi is all while saying she'll govern in a bipartisan way.
the liberal hypocrisy is absolutely incredible!!!! bring on 2010!!!!
Beach Fanatic
Morals are only allowed to be used to promote a political/social agenda. Period!
Beach FanaticAuthor
Rangel-ing: Charlie Pays 'Angels' In Ethics Probe - wcbstv.com
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
CBS 2 HD has learned of more alleged back-door dealingsand political power peddling by Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel.
The reigning member of Congress' top tax committee is apparently "wrangling" other politicos to get him out of his own financial and tax troubles.
Here's a look at Charlie's so-called "angels" involved in his ethics investigation.
Congressman Rangel has been arrogant in refusing to discuss how, as the man who writes this country's tax laws, he failed to report over $1 million in outside income and $3 million in business transactions as required by the House, lapses under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
"I recognize that all of you have an obligation to ask questions knowing that there's none of you smart enough to frame it in such a way that I'm going to respond," Rangel said.
There may be a reason for Rangel's arrogance. CBS 2 HD has discovered that since ethics probes began last year the 79-year-old congressman has given campaign donations to 119 members of Congress, including three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics Committee who are charged with investigating him.
Charlie's "angels" on the committee include Congressmen Ben Chandler of Kentucky, G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Peter Welch of Vermont. All have received donations from Rangel.
Only Welch sees something wrong with being financial beholden to Charlie.
"In an abundance of caution, he has returned all campaign contributions from Mr. Rangel," said spokesman Bob Rogan, Welch's Chief of Staff.
It amounted to nearly 20 grand.
Experts say the congressman's largess makes him crazy like a fox.
"Certainly money does make friends and influence people and perhaps make him a little bit more popular and at this particular moment that might help," said pundit Micheline Blum of Baruch College.
"Buying insurance, you know? Don't bite the hand that's feeding you. Clearly he sees himself as having a problem and he is contributing to members who might look favorably," added Doug Muzzio of Baruch.
Congressman Rangel has said he expects the House Ethics Committee to rule quickly on the ethical charges that are being brought against him. The problem is he's been saying the same thing for well over a year.
Rangel's office did not return a request for comment on the question of whether the congressman thought members receiving donations from him should step aside and let others rule on the ethics charges.
Dirty pool mister, dirty pool!
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
CBS 2 HD has learned of more alleged back-door dealingsand political power peddling by Democratic Rep. Charles Rangel.
The reigning member of Congress' top tax committee is apparently "wrangling" other politicos to get him out of his own financial and tax troubles.
Here's a look at Charlie's so-called "angels" involved in his ethics investigation.
Congressman Rangel has been arrogant in refusing to discuss how, as the man who writes this country's tax laws, he failed to report over $1 million in outside income and $3 million in business transactions as required by the House, lapses under investigation by the House Ethics Committee.
"I recognize that all of you have an obligation to ask questions knowing that there's none of you smart enough to frame it in such a way that I'm going to respond," Rangel said.
There may be a reason for Rangel's arrogance. CBS 2 HD has discovered that since ethics probes began last year the 79-year-old congressman has given campaign donations to 119 members of Congress, including three of the five Democrats on the House Ethics Committee who are charged with investigating him.
Charlie's "angels" on the committee include Congressmen Ben Chandler of Kentucky, G.K. Butterfield of North Carolina and Peter Welch of Vermont. All have received donations from Rangel.
Only Welch sees something wrong with being financial beholden to Charlie.
"In an abundance of caution, he has returned all campaign contributions from Mr. Rangel," said spokesman Bob Rogan, Welch's Chief of Staff.
It amounted to nearly 20 grand.
Experts say the congressman's largess makes him crazy like a fox.
"Certainly money does make friends and influence people and perhaps make him a little bit more popular and at this particular moment that might help," said pundit Micheline Blum of Baruch College.
"Buying insurance, you know? Don't bite the hand that's feeding you. Clearly he sees himself as having a problem and he is contributing to members who might look favorably," added Doug Muzzio of Baruch.
Congressman Rangel has said he expects the House Ethics Committee to rule quickly on the ethical charges that are being brought against him. The problem is he's been saying the same thing for well over a year.
Rangel's office did not return a request for comment on the question of whether the congressman thought members receiving donations from him should step aside and let others rule on the ethics charges.
Dirty pool mister, dirty pool!
Beach FanaticAuthor
Charlie in rental di$order
Rep. Charles Rangel reported no rental income for eight years on his rundown Harlem row house, even though public records show tenants were living there.
The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee said he received nothing from 1993 to 2000 on the six-unit building, according to federal financial disclosure forms.
But one current tenant told The Post she had lived at the building for 20 years -- and paid rent during that period.
NY Post: G.N. Miller
A FULL HOUSE: Rep. Charles Rangel, in hot water for failing to report income on his Dominican villa, has apparently done the same with this Harlem house, where his nephew, Christopher, now lives.
Sponsored Links Another said her former boyfriend called 74 W. 132nd St. home for many years, paying about $500 a month in rent.
While Rangel claims to have taken in not a dime in eight years, at least four tenants lived in the building during that time, The Post found.
His nephew, Christopher Rangel, still lives there.
The Democratic lawmaker, who is being probed by the House Ethics Committee for a laundry list of alleged financial misdeeds, has had a hard time keeping his story straight on the apartment building.
Rangel's grandfather bought the red-brick house in 1923. Rangel's sister transferred the property to the congressman's wife, Alma, in 1973 for $10,000, city records show. Rangel sold it in 2004 for $410,000 -- a hefty profit -- to the First AME Church Bethel.
He filed amended disclosure forms last month showing that in 2004 he failed to reveal between $500,001 and $1 million in capital gains and rent from the building.
Rangel's reporting of his yearly rental income for the building has swung widely -- from nothing to up to $50,000, the federal disclosure forms show.
* In 1987, he claimed the building brought in between $5,001 and $15,000.
* In 1991, he amended his 1990 form to say the property produced a loss.
* Less than a month later, he said the gross rent was between $15,000 and $50,000, the same amount he reported in 2002.
* In 1993 and 1994, he failed to enter anything about the property's income.
* From 1995 to 2000, he checked a box to show he earned no income.
* In 2001, Rangel claimed income for the building, reporting between $2,501 and $5,000 a year. He did the same in 2002 and 2003, then amended the reports to show income between $15,000 and $50,000.
Even if expenses on the building brought his take to nothing in certain years, he was required to report the gross rent.
A Rangel spokesman did not directly address the apparent lapses in the congressman's rental record, saying the lawmaker had taken care of any mistakes on his disclosure forms by filing amendments last month.
But the amendments covered only 2002 to 2006, not the eight years when he claimed no rent. The amendments revealed his failure to report millions of dollars in assets.
Last year, The Post revealed Rangel's failure to declare $75,000 in rental income on his villa in the Dominican Republic.
The Ethics Committee is also taking a hard look at Rangel's claim on a 1989 mortgage document that the row house was his primary residence.
As The Post reported last month, Rangel was then living across the street in at Lenox Terrace. He also, at that time, claimed a primary residence in Washington.
Rep. Charles Rangel reported no rental income for eight years on his rundown Harlem row house, even though public records show tenants were living there.
The powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee said he received nothing from 1993 to 2000 on the six-unit building, according to federal financial disclosure forms.
But one current tenant told The Post she had lived at the building for 20 years -- and paid rent during that period.
NY Post: G.N. MillerA FULL HOUSE: Rep. Charles Rangel, in hot water for failing to report income on his Dominican villa, has apparently done the same with this Harlem house, where his nephew, Christopher, now lives.
Sponsored Links Another said her former boyfriend called 74 W. 132nd St. home for many years, paying about $500 a month in rent.
While Rangel claims to have taken in not a dime in eight years, at least four tenants lived in the building during that time, The Post found.
His nephew, Christopher Rangel, still lives there.
The Democratic lawmaker, who is being probed by the House Ethics Committee for a laundry list of alleged financial misdeeds, has had a hard time keeping his story straight on the apartment building.
Rangel's grandfather bought the red-brick house in 1923. Rangel's sister transferred the property to the congressman's wife, Alma, in 1973 for $10,000, city records show. Rangel sold it in 2004 for $410,000 -- a hefty profit -- to the First AME Church Bethel.
He filed amended disclosure forms last month showing that in 2004 he failed to reveal between $500,001 and $1 million in capital gains and rent from the building.
Rangel's reporting of his yearly rental income for the building has swung widely -- from nothing to up to $50,000, the federal disclosure forms show.
* In 1987, he claimed the building brought in between $5,001 and $15,000.
* In 1991, he amended his 1990 form to say the property produced a loss.
* Less than a month later, he said the gross rent was between $15,000 and $50,000, the same amount he reported in 2002.
* In 1993 and 1994, he failed to enter anything about the property's income.
* From 1995 to 2000, he checked a box to show he earned no income.
* In 2001, Rangel claimed income for the building, reporting between $2,501 and $5,000 a year. He did the same in 2002 and 2003, then amended the reports to show income between $15,000 and $50,000.
Even if expenses on the building brought his take to nothing in certain years, he was required to report the gross rent.
A Rangel spokesman did not directly address the apparent lapses in the congressman's rental record, saying the lawmaker had taken care of any mistakes on his disclosure forms by filing amendments last month.
But the amendments covered only 2002 to 2006, not the eight years when he claimed no rent. The amendments revealed his failure to report millions of dollars in assets.
Last year, The Post revealed Rangel's failure to declare $75,000 in rental income on his villa in the Dominican Republic.
The Ethics Committee is also taking a hard look at Rangel's claim on a 1989 mortgage document that the row house was his primary residence.
As The Post reported last month, Rangel was then living across the street in at Lenox Terrace. He also, at that time, claimed a primary residence in Washington.
SoWal Insider
we salute you...real members of congress
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UksfV5V7R20"]YouTube - PJTV Salutes Mr. Tax-Law-Writing-Tax-Evader[/ame]
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UksfV5V7R20"]YouTube - PJTV Salutes Mr. Tax-Law-Writing-Tax-Evader[/ame]
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