The Knoxville News-Sentinel from Knoxville, Tennessee • 25

Stun lay Ftlniury 1x21)09 f'l MUQDIS-SINZ BM POKSQf (AGliAJl Business (gMMM knoxvillebizcom LO Editor Bill Breirer I limner I 1 E-mail: iregLreimlHMWiii BENH1Y miRAJH-MASOWl FYJ DIGIT IRS plans to focus on service Withabudget deficit projected to top a trillion doOsua this year Internal Revenue Service Cnminiswraw TYmgla Shulman may start feeling same pressure After all it's the job of the IRS to collect the money that finances most government operations and public services Quite naturally one would think there will be increased demand to collect every penny that taxpayers owe But Shulman who is just one term says MgttaHo-arafeg converter box tocreatinga balance he- SINGUTARV SKST strongtaxen- fixcement "Weneedtobe a world-class service organization" Shulman said during an hourfeng interview' "Weneed to walkamile in the taxpayers shoes My theory is peopk expect flawless service Bui they do want to be told what to expect and then get Although the IRS making majorheadline news like the Treasury Department it is still the most dreaded or loathed federal agency Of course in part that may have something to do with the feet that the IRS collects money many people would rather keep far themselves I remember the congressional hearings in the late 1990s when taxpayers testified about the rough Sopranos-like treatment they were getting from IRS agents The late William Roth the Delaware Republican who was chairing the Senate Finance Committee at the time held aseries of hearings on IRS tax collection effects Although subsequent investigations didn't turn up widespread abuses the hearings were instrumental in achieving passage of legislation restructuring the IRS TV TRANSITION DATE PUSHED BACK BUT SOME STATIONS SWITCHING OVER ON TUESDAY AS ORIGINALLY PLANNED BYCMLYHAMHN6I0N hamngtontgfaxaxvittebizjom he date when television must go all digital has been delayed but some stations across the country are moving ahead vith the transition anyway Most stations in the Knoxville area have decided to postpone the original diange-over date of Feb and wait until June 12 the new deadline set by Congress eaiiier this month and signed into law Wednesday by President Barack Obama The dday is intended togive KNOXVlIiJE STATIONS viewers more time to prepare for the change Subscribers to cable or satellite service are not affected but those who get free television signals over the airwaves risk bsing reception if they take steps to get a digitakxily broadcast no time to waste Nearly 500 of the 1796 full-power TV stations in the country plan to keep the original date Another 190 stations have already turned off their analog signals including WKOP East public television station Others are saying they will re-evaluate the market in the coming weeks to determine if they will make the switch before June DIGITAL TIMELINE WOE CABO June 12 WM (NBC) June 12 WHX(CW)Junel2 but maybe earfier WETF(PBS)FebiI7 WKOP (PBS) dgital since 2008 WIMKOndependent) dgital since 2004 WTO (ION) June 12 W1NZ (FOX) June 12 WVII (CBS) June 12 ON KNOXVILLEBIL COM QuetfonAAsk Carty Harrington your questions about the TV fiinlf-l in itlnn ogttai transition to prepare far the changeover which aims to free up the natiomte airwaves for puhlic safety providers and commercial wireless carriers But runningbathanalog Whit Adamson preskientofthe Tbonessee Assoda-tionofBroadcasters estimates that stations wiU incur between $300 and $30000 per month in electricity and maintenance expenses because of the delay reviewer interest probahly trumped that because so many (stations) are waiting until June Adamson said SeeDHULonCS NEWSSENTMEL DrewThuroun recycling coordinator for Knox County right stacks old television sets in a large Dumpster as Jesse Whitehead watches on during a recycling event at Chi lhowee Park in January The date when all television stations switch to digital has been postponed from Feb 17 to June 12 but some stations are going ahead with the changeover want to systematically find where people get lost in the system" Shulman said "We want to understand the taxpayer Right now for many taxpayers what they are experiencing is be-ingbrohe Recognizing thepiob-lem Shulman said he has gwen IRS front-line employees the authority tobe easier on people who are having trouble paying their taxes because of current economic conditions "We are going to suspend action and take people out of the collection he smd lepieixy efforts will be aimed at taxpayer who are unemployed or are relying solely on Social Se- curity or public assistance Shulman said going to ratchet up enforcement among high-net-worth individuals businesses with international operations and large corporations He says the way to drive 19 compliance among these groups is tomcreasethirxfparty reporting For example berinning in 2011 financial firms willbe required to reporttothe IRS what people paid fix their stock in order to capture what is known as the cost basis In a phase-in schedule other invest-ments will also come under the new reporting rule This means the IRS will lave a paper trail to catch people tryingtoavoid paying all the capital guns taxes on their profits Also beginning in 2011 financial institutions md be required to report to the IRS the annual gross credit and debit card payments madetobusinesses MfcheUe Singletary writes this column for the Washington Post Writers Group She welcomes comments and column ideas but cannot offer specific personal financial advice Write to her at singletarym washpostcom or ch The Washington Post 1150 15th St NW Washington DC2007L their brazenness A financier accused of stealing frexn his investors boards his private aneakme sends afrke distress callover Alabama saying his windshield has shattered and he is bleeding profusely then parachutes from the still-moving Piper Malibu which is later found in a Florida swamp with no signs of blood or an imploded windshield In the past year there have been more thanlO such incidents from points across the country and beyond executed by men whose finances disintegrated sometimes into peed and posable thievery the same dizzying speed of the roller-coaster global market In January alone three cases surfaced German billionaire in-vestor Adolf Merckle who lost a SeeMBIDOWNonCS Suicides Med deaths among hopeless acts in despairing times lYDOOMHHASmaS Associated Rrm In the abyss of financial ruin freed with sure disgrace and possibly prison some of the newly scandalized rich have taken desperate measures in these despairing times The black hole of hopelessness canbe overwhelming A man who lost $L4 billion to Bemie Madoff sits down in his Manhattan office and carefully writes aseries of suicide letters to family and friends then swallows afatal dose of pills under Ins Needing arm after slicing it withabax cutter Others are mind-bugling in DANIEL MMJRERASSOCIATED PRESS A cross flowers and candles are shown Jan 12 near the spot in Blaubeuren-Weiler Germany where German entrepreneur Adolf Merckle committed suicide Jan 5 In the abyss of financial ruin and faced with disgrace and possibly prison several of the newly scandalized rich have taken desperate measures People arriHcxxxsC2 1 The Syoday List Wal Street Journal Sunday C4-5 Checkout blogs by News Sentinel business writers Cariy Harrington and Josh Flay i i.