this post was submitted on 23 Mar 2025
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Economics

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Summary

The IRS anticipates a $500 billion revenue loss as taxpayers increasingly skip filings following cuts from Elon Musk under Trump.

The IRS, set to downsize by 20% by May 15, has seen increased online chatter about avoiding taxes, with individuals betting auditors won’t scrutinize accounts.

Experts warned that workforce reductions could cripple the agency's efficiency.

Treasury officials predict a 10% drop in tax receipts compared to 2024.

Former IRS commissioners have criticized the cuts, warning of dysfunction and reduced collection capacity.

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[–] [email protected] 39 points 6 days ago (16 children)

surely this will lower the price of eggs, right? right?

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[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I seem to recall hearing Trump officials/project2025 sorts say they wanted to do away with income tax, replace it with tariffs. So, I mean, the IRS falling apart and not being able to collect income tax is sorta... on the roadmap, isnt it? Like issuing this warning is prolly just gonna be taken as a goal milestone achieved on the plan.... ??

[–] [email protected] 17 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Replace with tariffs? This clown has no idea how anything works.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Coolidge-ism cannot fail. It can only be failed.

Gutting the federal budget takes us several big steps closer to the Thiel/Yarvin/Srinivasan envisioned Network State. Tiny autocratic techno-feudal cities that rule the surrounding territory in the same way Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, the Sinai Peninsula, and east Iraq are controlled from Tel Aviv. We're going to balkinize America, folks.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 6 days ago

I don't disagree with you -- I believe their line of reasoning was along the lines of getting all the operating funds needed for the 'government' from revenue generated from tariffs. One reason for aggressively slashing social support systems could be that they want to shift people's dependency for those programs more directly to corporate interests such as Google and Apple -- many tech companies have 'interests' in the medical field after all. The one area they would likely still want to maintain govt functions in, are military in nature -- the theory is that they want what are essentially geo-distant corporate city states that are connected via the internet, and protected by orbital weaponry / nuclear arms. Setting up a few blocs of this nature, and having them constantly feign conflicts with each other, will help to keep people placated as well, in a sort of horribly Orwellian sense. That sort of concern isn't really something for the ultra wealthy to be bothered by though, which's one reason oligarchies are so dangerous.

Still looks like the USA is sorta heading in that direction a bit, though obviously any of my musings are just guesses based on conspiracy theories I find plausible -- so I doubt it'd play out that way any time soon or anything. If there were 'real' flags of that sort of thing being imminent, I imagine some people in the govt would be making even more noise to us commoners, hah.

[–] vaultdweller013 9 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Sure but they're also stupid meaning five minutes after they will realize why income tax was adopted. Tariffs were becoming inefficient by the time of the civil war let alone now.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

And loss of trust / stability of the government makes the tech industry's push for corporate controlled 'freedom cities' much easier to get agreement on, allowing America's rich oligarchs to quite literally establish their own baronies ;P

[–] vaultdweller013 4 points 6 days ago

There's a reason why company towns were being abandoned even before they were outlawed, that being excessive violence. The key feature of these dweebs is a notable lack of historical understanding. Also a decaying empire is basically the only thing backing their wealth bravo dipshits ya played thine selves, seriously most of this shit will be taught in the successor states of the US not to dissimilar to how the failures of the Soviet Union are taught in former eastern bloc countries.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 days ago

How much of this is because of America's new found love of famous tax dodgers they put into the government? So they think that trump is their new best friend, and if their best friends dont pay taxes, why should they?

[–] AlecSadler 17 points 6 days ago (2 children)

I am one of those skipping filing to see what happens.

Delay, deny, dispose [of the IRS letters].

I'm taking that money and donating it to local charities and helping people in my community.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Problem is it it will catch up to you if you owe taxes.

When this country recovers, be that in 10 years, then virus will happily go after the tax dodgers of yesterdecade.

That would be my worry.

[–] AlecSadler 1 points 6 days ago

That's fine. I'd rather pay a recovered government than the current one...if that happens.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago

Musk: That's $500bn we won't have to spend valuable resources counting, so Boom another win!

[–] [email protected] 4 points 6 days ago

Can't wait for everyone who talks shit about President Musk to get audited. It wasn't their plan but this is absolutely going to be a trap to catch people who resist the nazi takeover.

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