# Can the any part of the IRS be audited?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [March 12, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563 "2007-03-12T05:20:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 14
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@diggleblop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/diggleblop)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/1 "2007-03-12T05:20:36Z")
I know they aren’t a business, but since the definition of audit is, “_an evaluation of an organization, system, process, project or product_”, can the IRS be audited? If so, who would do it? Who COULD do it?
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### Author:  [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/2 "2007-03-12T05:26:04Z")
[QUOTE=diggleblop]
I know they aren’t a business, but since the definition of audit is, “_an evaluation of an organization, system, process, project or product_”, can the IRS be audited? If so, who would do it? Who COULD do it?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, they have their own internal auditing teams and are accountable to the Department of the treasury.
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/3 "2007-03-12T05:35:54Z")
Indeed they _have_ been audited. The results weren’t very good.
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### Author:  [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/4 "2007-03-12T13:43:17Z")
[QUOTE=diggleblop]
If so, who would do it? Who COULD do it?
[/QUOTE]
The [Government Accountability Office](http://www.gao.gov/), which regularly investigates and audits various government agencies and reports the results to Congress. A google search on “GAO” and “IRS” will turn up a bunch.
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### Author:  [@Gfactor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gfactor)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/5 "2007-03-12T14:05:53Z")
Meet the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration: [Home | U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration OIG](http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta/oa.shtml)
Get your audit reports here: [Home | U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration OIG](http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta/oa_auditreports.shtml)
And here is the 2007 audit plan: [Home | U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration OIG](http://www.ustreas.gov/tigta/auditplans/auditplans_fy2007.pdf)
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### Author:  [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/6 "2007-03-12T16:34:30Z")
Ultimately, Congress is responsible for providing oversight of the IRS, which it does primarily through the [Joint Committee on Taxation](http://www.house.gov/jct/).
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### Author:  [@Nancarrow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nancarrow)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/7 "2007-03-12T17:00:31Z")
[QUOTE=anson2995]
The [Government Accountability Office](http://www.gao.gov/), which regularly investigates and audits various government agencies and reports the results to Congress. A google search on “GAO” and “IRS” will turn up a bunch.
[/QUOTE]
Dare I ask who audits the Government Accountability Office?
You know what my next question will be! 🆒
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### Author:  [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)
#### Post date: [March 12, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/8 "2007-03-12T20:35:27Z")
The GAO is audited by Congress. Congress is audited by the voters. Who audits the voters? The IRS.
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2007, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/9 "2007-03-13T00:51:30Z")
[QUOTE=flurb]
Ultimately, Congress is responsible for providing oversight of the IRS, which it does primarily through the [Joint Committee on Taxation](http://www.house.gov/jct/).
[/QUOTE]
I do not think that Congress has any responsibility for oversight of \*any \* part of the Executive Branch. I scanned over the link you provided and it says nothing about oversight of IRS, just oversight of the tax legislative process.
The main player in audits of the IRS is TIGTA, which has been mentioned above. (I am currently contracted to provide management support to the IRS, and one person who reports to me specifically provides support for TIGTA audits.)
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### Author:  [@flurb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flurb)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2007, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/10 "2007-03-13T03:21:50Z")
[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]
I do not think that Congress has any responsibility for oversight of \*any \* part of the Executive Branch. I scanned over the link you provided and it says nothing about oversight of IRS, just oversight of the tax legislative process.
[/QUOTE]
The committee website is terrible and doesn’t make it clear, but Joint Taxation does oversee the IRS and oversight of the executive is one of the fundamental duties of Congress. Senate and House committees routinely conduct hearings into executive operations, and have the power to issue subpoenas to Administration officials to compel their testimony. [Here](http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs//data/2006/upl-meta-crs-8097/97-936_2006Jan03.pdf) is a handy run down of the history and legal basis for Congressional oversight.
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### Author:  [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2007, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/11 "2007-03-13T06:22:51Z")
[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]
I do not think that Congress has any responsibility for oversight of \*any \* part of the Executive Branch.
[/QUOTE]
Dick Cheney thanks you for your lack of familiarity with the US Constitutional tradition, & reminds you to vote Republican.
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### Author:  [@jesuslynch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jesuslynch)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2007, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/12 "2007-03-13T16:00:08Z")
[QUOTE=Nancarrow]
Dare I ask who audits the Government Accountability Office?
You know what my next question will be! 🆒
[/QUOTE]
The Auditors who work for GAO are subject to review by their professional associations and State licensing boards. If they do sub-par or shoddy work, or do something beyond the pale, they will lose their credentials. Even those that are not licensed are held to the same standards as those who are licensed.
From first hand experience with the career GAO Auditors, they are very diligent in doing their work, presenting their findings in a straight forward Audit Report and letting the chips fall where they may.
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### Author:  [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/13 "2007-03-13T16:09:56Z")
[QUOTE=CookingWithGas]
I do not think that Congress has any responsibility for oversight of \*any \* part of the Executive Branch.
[/QUOTE]
:eek:
There are quite a few people who have lost their gummint jobs who would disagree with that.
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [March 13, 2007, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-the-any-part-of-the-irs-be-audited/395563/14 "2007-03-13T16:37:40Z")
[QUOTE=flurb]
The committee website is terrible and doesn’t make it clear, but Joint Taxation does oversee the IRS and oversight of the executive is one of the fundamental duties of Congress. Senate and House committees routinely conduct hearings into executive operations, and have the power to issue subpoenas to Administration officials to compel their testimony. [Here](http://digital.library.unt.edu/govdocs/crs//data/2006/upl-meta-crs-8097/97-936_2006Jan03.pdf) is a handy run down of the history and legal basis for Congressional oversight.
[/QUOTE]
Consider ignorance fought. :smack: