IG Audit: IRS Property Seizures Often Violate Law

A recently released audit of the IRS revealed the agency often failed to comply with the law when seizing and selling personal property to compensate for owed taxes, Forbes reports.

J. Russell George, Treasury inspector general for tax administration, disclosed that 30 percent of the property seizures in a sample survey did not comply with legal mandates in the tax code.

The problems occurred when proceeds from the sale were not applied to the taxpayer's account and letters informing the taxpayer of the sale's proceeds showed incorrect balances due. Some of the sales of the seized property were also not properly advertised.

The IRS top brass was offered an opportunity to review and comment on the findings before the report was released to the public, but declined to do so, Accounting Today reports.

The report comes on the heels of a number of scandals plaguing the agency, including a Las Vegas training seminar that cost taxpayers millions of dollars and showcased videos of workers doing line dancing and re-enacting Star Trek.

The agency is under investigation by a number of congressional committees for blocking conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status.