Wednesday May 4, 2022 – Last year the IRS signed an $86 million contract with identity verification provider ID.me to provide biometric identity verification services. As soon as the deal was announced, there was an outcry – and the IRS seemed to backtrack.

Yesterday IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig told a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee that the taxpayer access to the online IRS depends on .”identity proofing.” Something the current system just isn’t good at.

It appears from all the news, the IRS is backtracking again – going back to ID.me and biometric data of taxpayers.

The public – along with many members of Congress – loudly objected to the invasion of privacy necessary to access their own records. Now, that the roar has quieted, the IRS is back at it, pushing ID.me on the unwary public.

Attorney Steven A. Leahy revisits the IRS ID.me controversy on this episode of Today’s Tax Talk

https://fcw.com/digital-government/2022/05/irs-leader-explains-why-irs-went-idme/366516/

https://www.reuters.com/technology/identity-check-contractor-idme-fires-dozens-fraud-team-congress-probes-2022-04-26/

Tuesday May 3, 2022 – Non-Fungible Tokens (NFT) are the talk of the town. But, what is an NFT exactly. An NFT is a digital asset that represents real-world objects. The NFT may be art, music, in-game items or videos.

The value of NFTs come from their exclusivity, or “digital scarcity.” Digital copies may be infinite. But, there is only one “original.” The NFT contains built-in authentication, which serves as proof of ownership.

Attorney Steven A. Leahy covers the NFT story so you can understand what hype is all about. .

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/cryptocurrency/nft-non-fungible-token/

Thursday April 28, 2022 – Last March, right around the time Congress enacted the American Rescue Plan Act with its hidden Cash App provisions, the United States House of Representatives passed the Protect the Right To Organize Act (PRO Act) on a 225 -206 vote.

The Pro Act purportedly “strengthen workers’ rights to strike for better wages and working conditions, strengthen safeguards to ensure that workers can hold fair union elections and allow the National Labor Relations Board to fine bosses who violate workers’ rights.”

What was not advertised is the PRO Act’s impact on the tax obligations 1099 “Gig” workers. A recent study by Americans for Tax Reform, the Tholos Foundation and Beacon Hill Institute, they report that the PRO Act is a massive tax hike on millions of Americans.

Attorney Steven A. Leahy examines this study and the PRO Act.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-passes-protect-right-organize-act-225-206-sends-bill-n1260312

Wednesday April 27, 2022 – We have been warning our viewers that news stores calling for more funding for the IRS was right around the corner. So it begins.

Did you know the government cannot function without funding? America could not be America without the IRS. Therefore, the logic goes, we need to double the size of the IRS – now.

Never mind the IRS abuses. Never mind our government spends money it does not have. Never mind the average taxpayer is already paying out the nose. No. we should ignore all of that and give the IRS all the money it asks for.

I often wonder, “What free people would create an organization like the IRS?” Yes, government needs money to function. But funding an organization granted immense powers over the citizenry is bad enough. But, DOUBLING ITS SIZE! would be insanity.

Attorney Steven A. Leahy offers his opinion of the news dominating the media – Should we double the size of the IRS?

https://www.deseret.com/2022/4/26/23042916/irs-internal-revenue-service-funding-could-be-family-friendly-policy-build-back-better-plan-biden