Lawyers and the IRS

Have we all had just about enough of lawyers now?  Bad enough that they advertise on cable TV to get you some disability, or sue your doctor or some company or another.  Seems that lawyers and the legal profession are pretty much in charge of everything.  After all, they make all the rules.  What with judges and politicians all being lawyers, and protecting their own with rulings and regulations.  You know what I'm getting at here:

Lawyers have no sense of humor when it comes to lawyer jokes.  No, that's no really it.....true, but not the point.

I read that the IRS (via their lawyers) has enacted a new set of rules to require anyone who prepares tax returns to be certified, pass a test, have regular training, be capable of filing e-returns, and etceteras into the night.  There's a lawsuit that's been filed to prohibit these new rules from taking effect.  The lawsuit alleges that this will drive the "little guy" out of business (too much red tape, too many rules, and too much money that has to be paid out), driving yet MORE business to CPA's (who would rightly be exempt from the new regulations) and LAWYERS, who are ALSO exempt from the new regulations.  Puzzling to me that lawyers, most of whom seem to handle criminals in litigation, or, as stated before, sue over medical malpractice or product liability, or write wills, or whatever, would be singularly more able than anyone else to prepare a tax return.

The lawyers write the regulation, exempt themselves, and call it a day.  I like it.

Interestingly, the lawsuit that seeks to have these new IRS regulations prohibited is making their case not primarily on the merits (or lack thereof) of the rules, but rather on the authority of the IRS to do this without Congressional approval.  The IRS, it is alleged, is basing their authority upon a 19th century law that was designed--this is the part that I really love--to prohibit unscrupulous lawyers from chiseling military pensioners out of claims over lost horses.

I also understand that some 30% of all jobs now require some sort of licensing.  Seems excessive to me.  Especially when lawyers are exempt.  Private investigators, for example, must be licensed to do that work, but lawyers are exempt.  Interesting.

The most ironic part of all this?  The lawsuit to prohibit all this requires the employment of even more lawyers.

I give up.

My source material for this commentary comes from the Associated Press at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5izigQBKX0wVnzDaMqjSgKUR8LELQ?docId=95f2bf771ade4a17824f93d199f6f595.