LOCAL

Neugebauer introduces legislation to stop 'political targeting' by IRS

Sen. Cruz passed companion bill earlier this year

MATT DOTRAY
Neugebauer

U.S. Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Lubbock, introduced a bill on Tax Day to crackdown on the Internal Revenue Service.

Neugebauer's bill would amend the tax code to prohibit the IRS from creating its own definitions to determine whether an organization is engaging in political activity, according to a news release.

"To mark Tax Day, I have introduced a commonsense bill to protect taxpayers from political targeting by the IRS," Neugebauer said in the news release. "My bill requires the IRS to use guidance from the bipartisan and independent Federal Election Commission (FEC) to determine if an organization is engaging in political activity - limiting the opportunity for IRS bureaucrats to engage in misconduct and political targeting. It's long past time to rein in the IRS and bring some much-needed accountability to the agency."

Neugebauer introduced a similar bill last year following allegations the IRS targeted citizens based on their political actions.

In 2013, an IRS official admitted several conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status got special scrutiny.

When he introduced the bill last year, Neugebauer told A-J Media the FEC provides straightforward guidance on political activity, and the IRS has no business meddling with First Amendment rights.

The IRS is currently working to put sharp limits on how much and what type of political activity social welfare non-profits, or 501(c)(4), can partake in.

According to the non-partisan Center for Responsive Politics, social welfare organizations funded by anonymous donors have become a big force in federal elections, reporting $256.3 million in political spending in 2012. It was $82.7 million in 2008.

But Adam Rice, communications director for Neugebauer, said the bill is to protect the American taxpayer from further political targeting.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, introduced a companion bill in the U.S. Senate earlier this year.

matt.dotray@lubbockonline.com

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