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Can the Department of Justice sue the IRS for antitrust violations?

June 01, 2011

So the Antitrust Division of the Dpeartment of Justice is suing H&R Block for its attempted purchase of Iowa-linked TaxACT Software.

That's so funny. The federal government itself is doing more than anyone to restrict competition in H&R Block's market with the new IRS rules on tax preparers. It just issued final rules yesterday as part of this effort. The tax preparer regulation system was designed by a former H&R Block executive, and will push out of business many small seasonal preparers who don't want to deal with the cumbersome IRS preparer bureaucracy -- less competition for Henry and ~~Robert~~ Richard (thanks, Everett!).

It's way too much to hope that the next antitrust suit names IRS Commissioner Shulman.

Related:

Christopher Bergin, Blocking Block

Tax Update: Tax Preparers, Bootleggers and Baptists

Tags: Christopher Bergin.Doug Shulman.preparer regulation.