The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "internal revenue service" ...
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Investigating the IRS
As the national deficit soared, WTHR exposed fraud, confusion and government mismanagement that resulted in illegal immigrants getting billions of dollars in improper tax credits and refunds from the Internal Revenue Service. WTHR gained unparalleled access to tax records and immigrant communities to show exactly how the fraud was committed. The investigation revealed the IRS had known about the widespread problems for a decade but failed to act, and that IRS managers actively encouraged their tax examiners to ignore blatant signs of fraud. WTHR’s investigation quickly gained national attention, attracted more than 9 million online views, sparked intense debate and action by Congress, and triggered immediate reforms by the IRS. Following a series of in-depth follow-ups by WTHR and an Inspector General audit that confirmed all of WTHR’s findings, the IRS announced final rule changes in December designed to reduce the massive fraud and to save taxpayers billions of dollars.
Tags: tax fraud; taxes; taxpayers; Internal Revenue Service
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Glock's Secret Path to Profits
The Austrian handgun, Glock, has become the largest handgun supplier to US law enforcement. This investigation revealed the hidden history behind the success and the troubling business dealings within the company. This story also reveals the difficulty US regulators have overseeing international businesses.
Tags: Handguns; Business; Law Enforcement; Pistols; Supplier; Gaston Glock; Police; Firearms; Guns; Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
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Toxic Taxes
Toxic Taxes explores how Obama's fiscal stimulus tax credits will expand business for unregulated tax preparers and create more opportunities to commit fraud.
Tags: unlicensed; unregulated; tax; tax preparers; tax credits; Obama administration; fiscal stimulus; H&R Block; fraud; Internal Revenue Service;
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WAMU: Inside The Collapse
It's October 2008: major banks are failing, Congress is bailing them out with taxpayer dollars. The public deserves to know how we got into the mess. ABC News Nightline's "Inside the Collapse" was first to expose a top-down, company-wide reckless lending strategy that led to the biggest bank failure in U.S. history: Washington Mutual Bank. Senior Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas got inside Washington Mutual's culture and uncovered what really went wrong using original reporting, an exclusive whistleblower interview, a video of a jubilant company party, exclusive internal company documents, former employee interviews and victim interviews. His piece, as well as a follow-up on World news with Charles Gibson and articles on ABCNews.com, caught the attention of law enforcement. Two days after the piece aired, federal prosecutors announced that because of "intense public interest" they were investigating the bank's activities with assistance from the FBI, FDIC, SEC and IRS. The story was widely reported in the national media in the following weeks.
Tags: Washington Mutual; Securities and Exchange Commission; Internal Revenue Service; Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; FDIC; Federal Bureau of Investigation; economics
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Shriners Hospitals for Children Investigation Series
Freelance reporter Sandy Frost investigated a tip from Shriner Vernon Hill that there were irregularities in the way the fraternal Shriners organization and the charitable Shriners organizations were handling their money and not complying with Standards For Charitable Accountability.
Tags: Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine AKA Shriners; Standards for Charity Accountability; 2001 Criminal Tax Manual; Hershel Gober; Philanthropic Research, Inc. AKA Guidestar.org; Second Avenue Partners; Mike Slade; Aquantive; Nick Hanauer; Shriners; Masons; Knights Templar; Royal Order of Jesters; National Sojourners Order of Quetzacoatl; Mike Severe, Imperial Officer, Shrine of America; compensation; real estate transactions; excessive benefit transactions; charitable donation fraud; HIPPA; Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002; Vernon Hill; Suite101.com; Paul Dolnier; 501c10 non profit fraternal corporation; 501c3 non profit charity; Better Business Bureau; Charity Watch Center; Pennsylvania's Charitable Special Investigation Unit; Internal Revenue Service; IRS; good old boy system; U.S. Senate Committee on Finance; whistleblower retaliation; Charles G. Cumpstone Jr., Potentate Stewart W. Lewis; Charities Review Council of Minnesota; Generally Accepted Accounting Principles; GAAP; Independent Sector; SLAPP: strategic lawsuits against public participation; Cabiri Royal Order of Scotland; International Order of Demolay
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Doing Time, Stealing Your Money
This series of three reports revealed that inmates were filing for tax returns with false information and receiving refunds. On average, inmates got about $5000 back. Prisoners work with contacts on the outside who cash the checks. The prisoners seem to have nothing to lose because many are already serving life in prison.
Tags: TAPE; TRANSCRIPT; FOIA; tax; fraud; prison; inmate; IRS; internal revenue service; refund; department of corrections; scam
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A Billion - Dollar Bet
This investigation showed how Baltimore developer David S. Cordish used tax-free municipal bonds to build two glitzy casino complexes for the Seminole Tribe in Florida. Tax-exempt bonds are supposed to be issued only for "essential government functions" and private developers are barred from benefiting from them. But, those regulations were being ignored, until these Sun reporters brought the deal into the spotlight.
Tags: real estate; development; gambling; bonds; IRS; Internal Revenue Service; Auditors
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Shelter Games
The New York city's welfare agencies pay nonprofit organizations to accommodate and treat AIDS patients. Praxis is one such organization. Investigations revealed that the money given to this organization was being used to start various profit making projects without the knowledge of the IRS. Reporters also found that the executives of Praxis were involved with street gang members.
Tags: New York city welfare; AIDS patients; nonprofit organizations; Internal Revenue Services; Father Gordon Duggins; G Sterling Zinsmeyer
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The State of Generosity: Race and geography found to be powerful forces in giving; Salt Lake City tops donor list.
According to the article, "The Chronicle's studies of giving by city, county, and state are based on Internal Revenue Service records of Americans who earned $50,000 or more and itemized their deductions, representing 18 percent of all U.S. taxpayers and accounting for nearly 54 percent of all money earned in the nation. Those taxpayers donated $97-billion to charity, about 80 percent of the total $122-billion donated by all individuals in 1997, according to estimates compiled by Giving USA, the study of charitable giving published by the AAFRC Trust for Philanthropy."
Tags: generosity; giving; charity; charities; money; income; taxpayers; charitable; donations; deductions; finances; poor
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Donated Cars: A License for Abuse?
Many charities receive donations of used cars. The authors expose the possibilities for fraud within the system and highlight both positive and negative aspects. The article also discusses legislation that could affect the system.
Tags: tax breaks; deduction; charity; Internal Revenue Service (IRS)