iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Vanessa Williamson

Jake Grumbach @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social · 13/10/2026

@vanessawilliamson.bsky.social & Ellis Chen have a new piece in the @donmoyn.bsky.social Blog showing that they really don't want the IRS to work (with the exception of sharing your secure IRS data with ICE, which they've been working hard at) donmoynihan.substack.com/p/things-rea...

donmoynihan.substack.com

Things Really Are Getting Worse at IRS

Data show damage to service quality and taxpayer privacy in a more politicized agency

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Don Moynihan @donmoyn.bsky.social · 12/10/2026

How to track the effects of Trump's mismanagement? Look at a) emergencies and b) big, public-facing agencies. New at Can We Still Govern? @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social & Ellis Chen break down the data of the mess at IRS. 🧵 donmoynihan.substack.com/p/things-rea...

donmoynihan.substack.com

Things Really Are Getting Worse at IRS

Data show damage to service quality and taxpayer privacy in a more politicized agency

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

New data on use of IRS-CI on immigration & related task forces: > 353,106 special agent hours spent > Labor cost of ~$37 million > Time equivalent of ~313 tax-related investigations. www.tigta.gov/sites/defaul...

Figure 1: Special Agent Hours
Spent on Task Forces9
Task Force Hours
Immigration Enforcement Task Force 207,404
D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force 71,902
Memphis Task Force 73,800
Total Hours 353,106
Source: Criminal Investigation Management
Information System Time Reports.

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Lily Mason @lilymasonphd.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

My new JOD piece arguing against the “cure polarization” approach to saving democracy.

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Reposted by Vanessa Williamson

Brookings Institution @brookings.edu · 15/09/2026

The new, expanded IRS Spotlight offers data, timelines, records, and more on federal tax administration developments and IRS performance. @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social shares a few highlights below.

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

All these data come from the new, expanded IRS Spotlight. The site also now features detailed, annotated timelines of changes at the agency since January 2025, including what we know about taxpayer data sharing between IRS and ICE. www.brookings.edu/projects/the...

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Less than 20% of Treasury Department employees surveyed in fall 2025 expressed confidence that they could “report a suspected violation of a law, rule or regulation without experiencing retaliation.”

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The IRS is also being politicized. Sec. 7217 of the tax code prohibits White House officials from requesting the initiation or termination of tax audits, but White House officials have repeatedly attempted to interfere with nonpartisan and neutral tax enforcement. www.brookings.edu/projects/the...

brookings.edu

Nonpartisanship | Brookings

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The effects on taxpayer services are serious. Call wait times are up and paperwork processing speeds are down.

Bar graph showing rise in call wait times on IRS phone lines.

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Overall, the agency has lost about a quarter of its staff. It's a field day for tax cheats. The IRS has lost more than 30% of its revenue agents. The Civil Division Tax Litigation branch of the Department of Justice has seen a 30% to 40% decline in staffing.

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

The absence of a commissioner is just the tip of the iceberg. We've seen nearly complete turnover among senior civil service IRS leadership; the bulwark of expertise protecting taxpayer privacy and fair tax enforcement is seriously eroded.

An org chart of the IRS as of July 2026, showing vacancies and repeated turnovers.

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

It has been 193 days since we've had an IRS Commissioner. That position has never been vacant. Not once since 1862, when the Bureau of Internal Revenue began collecting the revenue to help the United States put down the Confederacy. www.brookings.edu/projects/the...

Days Without an IRS Commissioner: 193. After Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's term as acting commissioner expired on March 6, 2026, the administration left the position unfilled. The Internal Revenue Service now has neither a Senate-confirmed nor an acting commissioner. Since the advent of the position in 1862, the IRS commissioner position has never previously been vacant.

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Reposted by Vanessa Williamson

The FACT Coalition @factcoalition.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Join us on Sept 22 for "From Hidden Wealth to Public Trust – Reclaiming Our Democracy," an in-person and virtual discussion featuring @cjcmichel.bsky.social, @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social, @sarahpray.bsky.social, and @zorkamilin.bsky.social Read more & RSVP here: thefactcoalition.org/democracy/

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Great news! The appeals court in Center for Taxpayer Rights v IRS is upholding the stay preventing IRS from sharing taxpayer data with ICE. "The Center is likely to succeed in demonstrating that the Data-Exchange Procedure is contrary to law," the court finds.

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Kim Novak - The Reading Rx @cfpharmd.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History by Vanessa S. Williamson is necessary and fascinating #history. #Politics #BookSky 💙📚 @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Book cover of The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History by Vanessa S. Williamson. Tax return superimposed on an American flag.

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

My son lost his Smartrip card today and when we called @wmata.com they answered right away and were so helpful and now we have a new card with the balance transferred! Thank you!! ❤️🚂❤️ HOORAY PUBLIC TRANSIT

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Hello, DC friends! Next Thursday I hope you'll join me and the brilliant Erica Williams of @dcfpi.bsky.social at the Mt. Pleasant Library to talk about taxation and representation in American history and in DC today. Thursday, September 3rd at 6:30pm: dclibrary.libnet.info/event/17228029

dclibrary.libnet.info

The Literary Village -The Price of Democracy:

This program is a part of the Literary Village book talk series - a partnership between Mount Pleasant Village and the Friends of Mt. Pleasant Library.. Event starts at September 3, 2026 6:30 PM EDT

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Thank you! If you get a chance to read it, let me know what you think!

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

I'm so glad! Let me know what you think when you read it.

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Had a wonderful conversation with Paul Krugman about taxation and democracy in America: paulkrugman.substack.com/p/vanessa-wi...

paulkrugman.substack.com

Vanessa Williamson on Taxes and Democracy

What tax history teaches us about this dire moment

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

🚨🚨PEDANTRY OPPORTUNITY🚨🚨 For the 🎉paperback version🎉 of The Price of Democracy, I can fix typos...and I know there is at least one in the hardback, but now I can't find it! 😱😱😱 👉If you read the book and noticed a typo, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE to tell me about it! (Please do, it's driving me nuts!)

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DC Fiscal Policy Institute @dcfpi.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

The Wealth Proceeds Tax would add a small tax on passive income, like capital gains, above a high threshold. Households with income over $400,000 single or $500,000 married would pay it on passive income above that. Congress wants veto power before DC lawmakers' fall debate.

dcfpi.org

DC Can Raise $121 Million or More with a Simple Tax on Proceeds from Wealth | DC Fiscal Policy Institute

DC could simply add a local tax of 2 percent, or higher, to that same wealth reported to the federal government to yield substantial new annual revenue

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

"At most, tariffs could replace around one-eighth of the revenue the federal income tax currently collects... The move would be deeply regressive." Great article from Chye-Ching Huang, @davidkamin.bsky.social and Brandon DeBot: democracyjournal.org/magazine/81/...

democracyjournal.org

Protect—and Strengthen—the Income Tax

The income tax is a landmark progressive innovation of the last century, and it is under attack from multiple sides. President Donald Trump has explicitly targeted the income tax, repeating his goal t...

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Today I saw a federal agent on duty wearing explicit Trump campaign gear (see the 45-47 on his sleeve). That's illegal.

Federal agents standing behind MPD during a traffic stop.

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Jeremy Bearer-Friend @bearerfriend.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

Reminder that, if Thomas Paine’s tax proposal were in effect, Musk would face a 100 percent tax rate on any annual gains above $1 billion. Full detailed in my paper with @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers....

papers.ssrn.com

The Common Sense of a Wealth Tax: Thomas Paine & Taxation as Freedom from Aristocracy

Thomas Paine’s writing helped spur the American colonies to independence and ensure that the new nation would be a republic, not a monarchy. In light of the ren

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

From Nina Olson, former Taxpayer Advocate, and Gabriel Zucker, a leader in the development of Direct File: the sign-up system for "Trump accounts" is an "riddled with security and trust issues." www.taxnotes.com/procedurally...

taxnotes.com

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

If this is true, it is extremely important, in itself and as an indication of the power Congress could be asserting if it chose.

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Patriotic Millionaires @patrioticmillionaires.org · 22/05/2026

This! We cannot recommend @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social's work on this enough. She explains it ✨perfectly✨ here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqDd...

youtube.com

Why the Rich Want a Weak Government

YouTube video by Patriotic Millionaires

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The Tax Law Center at NYU Law @taxlawcenter.org · 18/05/2026

It’s a breathtaking abuse of the tax and legal system, at the same time courts are finding this administration is violating the taxpayer privacy laws the president is now invoking to seek extraordinary sums of money for his own purposes.

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

Any poli sci profs still allowed to teach "gender and politics", the new YouGov survey has your next lecture covered

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

Hello everyone please admire my new lamp

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Answer: The statistic is based on households' *reported taxable income.* People with high reported taxable incomes do indeed pay higher rates. But the really rich often report low or no taxable income, so they pay little or nothing! www.propublica.org/article/the-...

propublica.org

The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax

ProPublica has obtained a vast cache of IRS information showing how billionaires like Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and Warren Buffett pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth — sometimes, ev...

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 14/04/2026

Profoundly misleading tax statistic from the Washington Post editorial board today. Here's the stat they use to assert that the rich pay more than their share. Can you spot the issue? 🧐

Washington Post: "There were 30,382 tax filers with incomes of $10 million or more in 2023, the latest year IRS data is available. That includes all sources of income. This tiny group of people, less than 0.02 percent of all tax filers and 10,000 fewer than fit into Nationals Park, made 5.9 percent of all income — and paid 10.9 percent of all income taxes."

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Kathleen Romig @kathleenromig.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Frank Bisignano is set to testify before the Senate Finance Committee Wednesday. He is simultaneously the “CEO” of IRS and Commissioner of Social Security. During his tenure, some troubling patterns have emerged at SSA and IRS, which impact the millions of people who rely on their services. 🧵

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

An AI slop-news site translated my job title "senior fellow" as... "elder chap"

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Zorka Milin @zorkamilin.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

"This isn’t just about clever accounting — it's about power and impunity. When millionaires and billionaires stash trillions of dollars in offshore tax havens, they place themselves above the obligations that bind the rest of society." Christian Hallum, @oxfaminternational.bsky.social

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Vanessa Williamson @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

Tax invisibility is a scourge in our politics > Public childcare isn't free, it's tax-funded. > People buying $34 burgers pay taxes. > Believe $34 burger eaters should pay more? wait until you hear about this idea "progressive taxation" Wow, problem solved, thanks taxes! 😀

nytimes.com

They Pay $34 for Burgers. Should Their Child Care Be Free?

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Omar Wasow @owasow.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Excited to share new paper w/ @jakemgrumbach.bsky.social: "Veiled Power: How Rosenwald Teachers Quietly Shaped the Civil Rights Movement" The puzzle: did ~5,000 segregated schools built in rural South emphasizing “manual labor” strengthen or weaken Jim Crow? 🧵 omarwasow.com/wasow_grumba...

Veiled Power: How Rosenwald Teachers Quietly Shaped
the Civil Rights Movement

Omar Wasow∗ Jacob M. Grumbach∗

April 1, 2026

Abstract
What precipitates the collapse of seemingly durable social orders like Jim Crow? During the 1920s, approximately 5,000 “Rosenwald Schools” were built across the rural South through a partnership between philanthropist Julius Rosenwald and Black communities who raised matching funds, donated land, and petitioned local governments. Local elites saw vocational training that would preserve the racial order. We argue Black educators used this accommodationist cover to build veiled capacity: organizational infrastructure for collective action behind a veil
of compliance. Counties with more Rosenwald Schools show greater civil rights protest in the 1960s. Mediation analysis reveals that pre-existing social capital predicted protest through Rosenwald teacher placements, not enrollment. Instrumental variable models suggest the effect is not driven by community selection. Moving from no Rosenwald teachers to the 75th percentile predicts 45% more protest. The political effects of education may depend less on what elites intend than on what educators build where elites cannot see.

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Foreign Affairs @foreignaffairs.com · 24/03/2026

“Free, democratic countries tend to be high-tax countries,” writes @vanessawilliamson.bsky.social. By “sabotaging the state’s capacity to raise revenue,” the Trump administration is putting the future of U.S. democracy in jeopardy.

foreignaffairs.com

Give Me Liberty and Give Me Taxes

Why democracies love taxation—and autocracies hate it.

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