# Why doesn't the IRS make a priority of auditing rich folks' returns? **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-irs-make-a-priority-of-auditing-rich-folks-returns/976961 **Category:** Politics & Elections **Created:** [December 22, 2022, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-irs-make-a-priority-of-auditing-rich-folks-returns/976961 "2022-12-22T16:34:03Z") **Posts on this page:** 1 **Showing post:** 4
### Author: ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies) #### Post date: [December 22, 2022, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-irs-make-a-priority-of-auditing-rich-folks-returns/976961/4 "2022-12-22T16:54:46Z")
How hard is it to comply with the tax-avoidance strategies that you and those in your stratum actually write or create? I’m not sure that non-compliance with the tax codes among the wealthiest Americans is the problem. I think the problem is the tax codes themselves. > [@Do the rich pay their fair share?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-the-rich-pay-their-fair-share/921817): > > I did a quick search and found very little specifically about this. In association with the latest story about DJT’s tax returns, I heard a statistic that the wealthiest Americans pay an average of 24% in Federal Income Tax. I presume they’re talking about [Effective Tax Rate](https://www.thestreet.com/personal-finance/taxes/what-is-the-effective-tax-rate-15102865). But Effective Tax Rate reminds me of an old joke in medicine: The surgery was a complete success, but the patient died. Sometimes, our definitions differ from the definitions used by others. According to [Pew Research](https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/10/06/a-closer-look-at-who-does-and-doesnt-pay-u-s-income-tax/): … --- _[View the full topic](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-the-irs-make-a-priority-of-auditing-rich-folks-returns/976961)._