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 "privatizing tax collection" ...
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"The New Tax Man"
This series of stories by the Huffington Post Investigative Fund examines how tough financial times have affected "ordinary" citizens. Reporters revealed how local property tax collectors were "selling the right to collect unpaid taxes to private investors," which could leave homeowners with large extra fees, and the possibility of losing "their home if they are unable to pay."
Tags: taxes; mortgage; interest; unemployment; property tax; Baltimore; Wells Fargo; Bank of America; hedge fund; Fortress Investment Group
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The Foundation
This series focused on a little-known network of privately run government contractors called "quality improvement organizations," or QIOs, that collectively spend about 300 million tax dollars annually. This story focused on an Iowa QIO, but included an on-line report that detailed the spending and complain investigations at every other QIO in America. That report was based on a review of more than 200 public documents.
Tags: tax dollars; state government; oversight; Medicare
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"The PGE Papers"
Jaquiss' investigation into the proposed sale of Portland General Electric, Oregon's largest utility, revealed information from inside sources that sank the deal. While Texas Pacific Group, a private equity firm, publicly promised to keep PGE intact and not try to flip it quickly for big profits, internal documents revealed their real intentions were exactly the opposite. Jaquiss also revealed a tax scam in which hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes were collected from rate-payers but never turned over to the government. Also included are stories from other sources that cover the effects of Jaquiss' reporting.
Tags: City government; public utilities; Enron; energy costs; price gouging; tax fraud
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Caught in the Back-Tax Trap
Some localities have moved towards contracting with private companies to collect back-taxes--an option that can bring greater rewards but also carry considerable risks.
Tags: delinquent debt; back-taxes; privatizing debt collection; Waterbury; Connecticut; privatizing tax collection; Angram
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Collection of stories about not-for-profits
The Wall Street Journal's "collection of stories on charitable abuses for private gain and the economic underpinnings of the not-for-profit world... The underlying theme of this story collection is the growing use of philanthropy for less-than-charitable purposes -- from avoiding taxes to building empires.... The beneficiaries of such devices: tax shelter promoters and their clients, the so-called angry affluent, who balk at the bite that taxes take from their new-found wealth. The victims: less affluent and less strategic taxpayers, who pay more than their share when those exploiting tax-avoidance schemes pay less..."
Tags: IRS Form 990 Internal Revenue Service IRS Congress split-dollar insurance limited partnerships
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"From the Top, A City that Doesn't Work...
The packet of stories represents part of a year-long focus on misuse of tax funds by city officials and general malfeasance across the government of the District of Columbia. Powell's series shows how government corruption and incompetence cost Washington hundreds of millions of dollars a year. This series shows failure to spend approved federal grants, poorly written contracts and city work crews wasting time and doing private work on city time. Thompson and Woodlee focused on smaller numbers, but more audacious abuses by specific officials. The mayor paying police excessive overtime to move his luggage and a Corrections Department supervisor collecting overtime herself and authorizing overtime for city workers repairing her house.
Tags: None
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No title (id: 554)
Cleveland Press runs series on the city's historical society and how its trustees and staff members inflate appraisals on donations for tax purposes and use the society's collection of art for private purposes; reporters use price lists for antiques and tax records to expose these practices, February 1980.
Tags: None