Biggest groups have lobbied IRS

The Internal Revenue Service typically takes money. But for K Street, it can generate profits, too.

Nearly 500 companies and organizations have lobbied the Internal Revenue Service between 1998 and 2004, according to a new report from the center for Public Integrity.

Some of the biggest groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, have pressed their case at the IRS either with in-house lobbyists or outside firms, the center found.

Van Scoyoc Associates was retained to represent the interests of more than 50 clients in that timeframe. That is more than any other law firm.

There have been more than 6,888 bills introduced on Capitol Hill that sought changes to U.S. tax policy and procedure. But rules that the IRS issues can be worth “tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars to a company’s bottom line,” the center said.

Jim Snyder