IRS, ACORN Sever Ties Over Scandal
ACORN, IRS end partnership in program that offers free tax advice.
Sept. 23, 2009— -- The Internal Revenue Service Wednesday announced that it had ended its relationship with the community group ACORN.
"The IRS has partnered with hundreds of community and volunteer organizations, including ACORN, to provide free tax assistance to low- and moderate-income Americans," the IRS said in a statement. "It is absolutely critical that taxpayers have trust in our Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program partners. In light of recent events, the IRS has decided to terminate its relationship with ACORN."
The IRS' Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is a partnership with organizations nationwide to give free tax help to families with adjusted gross incomes of $42,000 or less. This year the VITA program helped in the filing of more than 3 million tax returns. ACORN was involved in the filing of 25,000 of those, the IRS said.
The move by the IRS comes less than two weeks after another federal agency, the Census Bureau, also severed its ties with ACORN.
Earlier this month, videotapes posted on BigGovernment.com and broadcast on FOX News showed a young man and woman pretending to be a pimp and a prostitute receiving help of ACORN employees in Washington and Baltimore in getting housing.
Funding ACORN
House Republican Leader John Boehner applauded today's move by the IRS before calling on President Obama to cut all government ties -- including funding -- with ACORN.
"The IRS has rightly recognized that this troubled organization has no place advising hard-working Americans on tax-related matters," Boehner said in a statement.
"The decisions by the Census Bureau and the IRS are clear indications President Obama should use his authority to end all federal funding to and break all government ties with ACORN," Boehner said. "In the meantime, every federal agency should carefully re-evaluate its relationship with ACORN to ensure this corrupt outfit does no further harm to the public trust."
Earlier this month, the House and the Senate voted to cut off federal funds for ACORN.