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government agencies. It's actually one of the things that Congress did right - making government agencies accountable to the American public. A good place to start in educating yourself on these types of reports is www.usa.gov.

However, if you don't want to take the federal governments word for anything then start with www.nationalpriorites.org. I actually believe that everyone should always look at multiple sources for their information to develop an informed thought process. At least, this is what I try to do. In fact, I believe in taking a balanced approach t to the subject of paying taxes.

Like many citizens I believe that Congress needs to be more responsible in collecting and spending our money. But, I also believe that taxes are necessary for a healthy and functional society, especially with regards to education and taking care of our children and our elderly. I too object to some of the things our money is spent on but that's why I vote. I believe that the best change in a society comes from knowledge and exercising the wonderful right to vote to express the results of that knowledge. But if you are determined to fight the IRS you'd better do your homework. As I've pointed out to people in the past, the IRS is the only agency that could send Al Capone to jail. Fast forward to today and we have the actor Wesley Snipes facing three years in prison for listening to the wrong tax advice.

So where should you turn to educate yourself on the best way to communicate with the IRS? First, there is the Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, established in 1988 along with the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. It's predecessor, the Taxpayer Ombudsman was created in 1979. The Taxpayer Advocacy Service (TAS) has the purpose of advocating for the rights of the taxpayer. You can find more information on this at the IRS's website at www.irs.gov.

The other place to educate oneself is through the US Tax Court. I like www.legalbitstream.com for researching the court cases involving disputes with the IRS. It's an eye opener in terms of how the law governing the tax code is interpreted and enforced. The IRS doesn't always win so this is a good resource for getting a benchmark for what is actually enforced.

I believe we have a lot of work to do in getting this country back on the road to being truly for the people who actually pay to support it, but anarchy isn't the answer. Understanding our legal rights and influencing how our taxes are spent through voting and informed discussion will sustain us into the future far better than anything else. So will understanding the tax code at the federal, state and local levels so we can make more informed choices about those things we do that result in paying more income and other taxes. There are lots of legal ways to pay less taxes and we need to vote to make sure Congress keeps the balance between collecting the necessary taxes to keep our society strong and how much burden is placed on the lower income rungs of society. So, get out there and educate yourself and please vote!

Learn more about this author, Teresa Stone.
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