A King’s College sociology professor says an audit by the Internal Revenue Service may have been politically motivated. The New York professional says she believes it was an attempt to discourage her from writing criticism about President Barack Obama.
The professor said she continued to write about issues that were in line with her Catholic views, such as pro-life and other important topics. However, she also said she did not write much criticizing the President while she was being audited.
The professor had written many articles that appeared in such publications as the Wall Street Journal and the Catholic Advocate. She called the articles “highly politicized.” She was contacted by the IRS in May 2010. She said the IRS agents were interested in who was behind the payments for her published writings. The professor did clarify that there were no questions asked about the religious organizations and groups she had written for, including those which are not supportive of the President. The professor said some of her writings were very critical of Catholic organizations that supported “Obamacare.”
The professor’s audit by the IRS comes during the ongoing controversy regarding recent actions by the tax agency to target groups who were considered “tea party groups.” The groups were allegedly bombarded with requests for more information and questions about their tax-exempt status. This scandal has now resulted in the resignation of Steven Mills, the IRS commissioner.
Many groups have alleged that they have received letters from the IRS that raise questions as to whether the tax agency is trying to delay tax-exempt status because it has pro-life views.
While the professor believes the actions of the IRS should raise concern, she believes that the current scandal will make it much more difficult for the power of the IRS to target an organization for auditing because of their beliefs.
If you have tax issues or have received notice of an impending audit, contact a qualified Texas tax attorney. You have rights and a skilled, knowledgeable attorney will be able to protect those rights and advise you of your options.
Source: catholicnewsagency.com, “Catholic professor says IRS audit deterred her criticisms of Obama” Kevin Jones, May. 16, 2013