An Audit for Thee, but Not for Me

Why would Matt Cartwright ever support 87,000 new IRS agents? After all, according to the Washington Free Beacon, he was on the hook for $436.63 for late property taxes last year. In fact, in 2018 he was so negligent about coughing up his property taxes that he racked up $37,000 in interest and penalties. You can read all of the details here if you are a numbers guy or gal, but suffice it to say that Cartwright’s problem with property taxes appears to be, shall we say, habitual.

One would think that Mr. Cartwright would be a bit more circumspect when it comes to the idea of unleashing 87,000 new IRS agents on an American public that is starting to feel like Wile E. Coyote as he flies off a cliff or watches an anvil speeding toward his head. One would think that his past tax habits would make him a prime target for an audit. One would think.

But Mr. Cartwright’s condo is in Washington, D.C. He uses it as the Democratic representative for the state of Pennsylvania. As such, I doubt he thinks he has much to worry about. This may be why he was an enthusiastic supporter of the Inflation Reduction Act.

The press release on his website stated:

I applaud the Senate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which will lower the cost of prescription drugs, health insurance, and energy costs while fighting inflation, reducing the deficit, and making the wealthiest corporations finally pay their fair share.

This bill does not raise taxes on Americans earning under $400,000 a year. It will be funded by putting a stop to huge corporations escaping taxes and savings on prescription drugs paid through Medicare. Our senior citizens, those living on fixed incomes, and working families will all benefit from this legislation.

This is the action the American people have been waiting for. Now that the Senate has taken action, the House will return to pass this landmark legislation – delivering for families and communities across Northeast Pennsylvania and the nation.

Also submitted for your consideration: Democratic congresswoman Kathy Manning of North Carolina. The Free Beacon also notes that in the House Financial Disclosure Report for 2020, Manning’s impressive portfolio includes more than $1 million with a company called Seven Bridges. There are 12 entries for Seven Bridges on the report. Your first thought may be, “Nothing to see here. In other news, water is wet.” After all, unless you have been living in a cave, you already know that many of the members of the Marble Mafia have made a priority of fattening their bank accounts. But the Free Beacon also reports that Seven Bridges is located in … drum roll please … the Cayman Islands! Holy offshore assets, Batman!

Technically, the money is held through her husband’s “charitable trust.” So nothing to see here, right? Right? I’m sure that those new bright-eyed, bushy-tailed agents have more important cases on which to focus their attention. After all, there are devious, money-grubbing tax cheats out there whose feet need to be held to the fire. People like David and Deborah Hajda.

Thirteen years ago, the Hajdas, who own a cattle operation in Texas, found themselves in the crosshairs of the IRS over a $7,800 expense to rebuild the engine on an ailing tractor, which they could not afford to replace. They kept meticulous records and offered to fax them to the IRS but were told that an agent was coming to their home. The Hajdas had used a tax preparer who had told them an 80% deduction for their farm vehicles was a legitimate deduction. The agent lowered that to 50%. You can see the full story from Fox News below.

Unfortunately, the story of the Hajdas may well become the story of many of us, as the government steps over the dollars made by its members to pick up the dimes made by the citizens. You may need to start digging out your records and calling your accountant. I doubt Cartwright or Manning will need to do the same.