The Statutory Problem With IRS Firearms
In the end, the court elected to detour around the statutory construction question. Instead, the court assumed a statutory violation but held that suppression was not an appropriate remedy. This prudential approach makes eminently good sense: as we recently wrote, “iscretion is often the better part of valor, and courts should not rush to decide unsettled legal issues that can easily be avoided.” Thus, we too assume without deciding that the agents who executed the search of the defendant’s home violated 26 U.S.C. § 7608 because they were armed.
IRS Weapons And Ammunition Spending Is Unremarkable
Then I found a GAO report about ammo use by the Department of Homeland Security. In 2009, DHS had spent $19 million to acquire 84 million rounds of ammunition. That works out to $0.22 per round. The other little tidbit was some detail on border patrol agents. The ammunition requirement for a new officer is 3,300 rounds which drops to 600 rounds for experienced officers. That does not seem like very much practicing, but as I noted if you look at sites that advise on this stuff, you will see all sorts of answers including people claiming that it is a lot of dry firing that really makes you good. Hopefully, I’ll spark a vigorous debate in the comments section.
My source explained to me that IRS CI special agents, although they are required to have accounting training like regular revenue agents are law enforcement officers who are expected to meet standards similar to all other federal law enforcement officers. There are not that many newbies among them as the size of the force has been dropping through attrition due to budget constraints.
Follow Me
Over and over again courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one’s affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant.