Customer Reviews

Unbridled Power: Inside the Secret Culture of the IRS

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Shelly Davis has written a book that reveals some of the internal workings of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS as revealed by Davis is a corrupt, paranoid organization that goes to more trouble to cover up its own failings and illegal activities than it expends doing its legitimate job. Davis shows that the law is no barrier to IRS proceedings. In particular she describes the IRS repeated and apparently systematic efforts to conceal its operations by destroying internal records in violation of the Federal Records Act. Davis writes in a straightforward narrative style suitable for an account of bureaucratic bumbling by one of the nations most important governmental agencies. If you have had an interest in the Internal Revenue Service, tax problms or an interest in how bureaucracies work this book is essential reading.

Let me start by saying that I do not condone the present state of the IRS and that, like a recent presidential candidate, I would like to see the IRS abolished as we know it. However, I feel that Unbridled Power did not even come close to delivering on what is promised in the synopsis and cover flaps. Shelley Davis states that unethical, and even unlawful, behavior is rampant within the IRS. Yet, within 260 pages of text, she provides us with only a few such examples, and the frequency with which she refers to these few examples undermines her claim that such behavior is commonplace. The author's descriptions of her own actions toward the end of her employment at the IRS further erode her credibility regarding the severity of the problem. Davis claims that often times the IRS has a blatant disregard for federal laws and that certain actions by IRS employees could be construed as a violation of these laws. However, when she was asked point blank by an IRS investigator if charges should be brought, Davis reponds that what she really wants is "change". Also, just prior to her departure, Davis is asked to submit a report detailing her experiences at the IRS, a report which she readily admits would be the perfect opportunity to memorialize the atrocious actions she has witnessed and the people responsible for these actions. Once again, Davis demurs and decides to "not burn any bridges." If the actions of the IRS are so egregious, why isn't an outside agency such as the FBI involved? Davis complains that the IRS is incapable of policing itself, yet all her efforts to "whistle blow" (a favorite phrase of hers) were conducted along the very same reporting channels Davis derides as being inadequate and ineffective. Much of what Davis talks about in her book can better be described as "entrenched bureaucracy". In the end, her efforts to change the status quo did not succeed because she was a victim of this bureaucracy and, more importantly, because she herself became a part of this same bureaucracy. Rather than a scorching expose, this book is, at best, food for thought

This is not some lunatic fringe wacko attacking the government, but someone who truly wanted to work to improve the IRS. The reports of serious lack of morals or ethics by hign ranking government employees was scary. The highest praise I can give this book is that it reads like a true history... documented and detailed... trying to be objective even when the IRS turned on her. In the end, you realize that the only 'reform' possible is to abolish the whole system.

Before I read this book, I assumed that it was the story of a single individual's plight inside of the IRS. I thought it could be a questionable account, perhaps based on unsubstantiable facts. In fact, the book's subject matter is much broader than only Shelley Davis' experience. Ms. Davis, in true historical form, describes as reality an organization that should only exist in the minds of science-fiction writers. Even if only a fraction of her allegations are true, this work represents an irrecoverably scathing indictment on an admittedly powerful government agency. Although she never makes the connection, she paints a picture of official organized crime, a government body out of control, operating in the underworld of power and intimidation, where the law is openly despised. It is clear that the IRS requires immediate and extensive reform, in order that it might be made accountable to the people of the United States

For anyone who wants to see a Govt. Bureacracy in meltdown, and that is still on going read this! With the recent retirement of Mr. Gross and the new IRS Commissioner Rossotti's idea to redo everyting, coupled with the attempts by Congress to "simplify" it on the one hand --by making it more difficult, to the other extreme of abolishing it altogether, you will soon see we are headed to another 1985. Considering this kind of book was never done before on the IRS, it stands by itself. All of our legislators should be required to read it and take a test on it!

I read this before I started writing reviews on Amazon; this certainly would have deserved one. I'm writing from memory at least ten years later. What I retain is a sense of the flavor of the book more than the details. It describes a very self-protective, self-serving bureaucracy that is unresponsive to the taxpayer and rolls over for politicians.

At the time I read it I thought "there but for the grace of God go I." Most of my problems have been simple and resolved without conflict. Now, however, they simply refuse to accept that my foreign wife exists, even though they have spoken to her three times and have copies of every official document she possesses. They have gone against the Internal Revenue Manual at least three ways and seem oblivious and unrepentant. I went right to my bookshelf for this volume.

An excellent book by a very brave author. It kept me awake all night -- in fact, I may never sleep again. After searching far and wide -- but failing to find many other books on the inner secret workings of the IRS -- this one hit the spot. Does anyone really know how to audit these 'servants' of ours? Mrs Davis has given us so many more questions to ask. Forget volunteering -- this should be required reading for all taxpayers

Congratulations on a great book! That rattling sound across the country is from the bones of all the unearthed skeletons tumbling out of their long sealed crypts. In its entirety, the book is a call to action for the Congress. I very much enjoyed the order of presentation, concert-like. It starts out in innocence with just a dash of naivete'. One can almost hear the soothing strains of Rites of Spring. By chapter three, however, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony begins to dominate. Ever intensifying, the concert moves into Wagner's Ride of the Valkeries by the time the reader arrives at chapter ten. The final chapters (hopefully) represent a funeral dirge for IRS mismanagement and corruption. Insults to executives? If truth is insulting, so be it. IRS management (an oxymoron) is getting a long overdue comeuppance for years of arrogance, insensitivity and outright duplicity.

I, along with others of you, are scared to death of the intrusive ways of the IRS. That was the reason I wanted to read this book, by someone on the inside. From the start all Ms. Davis could do was tell us how many times a fellow employee said, "Oh, you're the historian." I was hoping to hear more on how this government department works and the dirt about how things are handled. I did not learn anything new that has not been written before. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for the dirt on the IRS