Problem
Answer the following questions based on the video or guest speaker Adam Rankin, who has been a Revenue Agent with the IRS since 2005. He graduated from the University of Idaho with a degree in Accounting, and while working for the IRS, he completed his law degree at Lewis and Clark Law School.
A. Briefly describe why the IRS appealed to Mr. Rankin more than the accounting firms he visited.
B. What was the issue Mr. Rankin found when auditing a farmer? Do you think the farmer knew he was breaking the law, or was he just unaware of the law?
C. What are the two common issues that Mr. Ranking talked about seeing when auditing large companies?
D. How did Netflix try to claim that they are a producer entitled to the Domestic Production Activities Deduction?
E. Do you think this argument by Netflix is a good one, why or why not?
F. What does GS-12 mean? Who rises to GS-12 in the IRS?
G. Mr. Ranking said that an Appeals Officer can consider the hazards of litigation. What does that mean?
H. (This last question will require you to do some brief research on your own.) Mr. Rankin mentioned that early in his career revenue agents were encouraged to start audits with a cold call. Are agents still allowed to act this way?