This is a fully documented inside examination of the Internal Revenue Service, in many ways the largest and most powerful of all federal agencies, and also the agency whose competent function is most essential to our democracy. The book's appearance in 1989 sparked a public furor and major legislation attempting to redress the IRS' many abuses of power, both political and bureaucratic. The book will be a relevant handbook as long as the agency remains a towering presence in American life.

Cover Page -- Title Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- 1. Thinking About Taxes and the Taxman -- 2. First Encounters with the IRS -- 3. Collecting Taxes -- 4. Nailing the Tax Criminals -- 5. Organized Crime Is an Enemy in Our Midst -- 6. New Math at the IRS: 2 + 2 = 3 -- 7. The Zealots -- 8. Bribes, Boodle, and Buyoffs -- 9. Influence at the Top -- 10. Presidents, Politics, and the IRS -- 11. Curbing Political Dissent, Maintaining the Official Line, and Suppressing Unpopular Views -- 12. Oversight: Why the Watchdogs Seldom Bark -- 13. Tax Collection in the Next Decade -- 14. The Last Word -- Notes -- Selected Bibliography -- Appendix -- Index -- Acknowledgments -- Copyright Page.