The IRE Resource Center is a major research library containing more than 23,250 investigative stories — both print and broadcast. These stories are searchable online or by contacting the Resource Center directly (573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org) where a researcher can help you pinpoint what you need. Browse or search the tipsheet section of our library below. Stories are not available for download but can be easily ordered by contacting the Resource Center:
Search results for "taxing authorities" ...
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Winning Friends and Influencing Commissioners
"This story project revealed how the largest private developer if tax-credit affordable housing in Texas co-opted commissioners serving on the Bexar County Housing Authority by providing undisclosed financial incentives to secure the agency's support for tax breaks needed to build multimillion dollar apartment complexes."
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Political Scandal Rocks Orlando
Even though Orlando political consultant Doug Guetzole said he was an anti-tax activist that looked out for the little guy, he was collecting checks for hush money.
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The Getty
A six-month investigation of Barry Munitz, the Getty CEO, showed that he had used the trust's tax-exempt resources for himself and his friends, while cutting jobs and the Getty's budget. Getty officials also were found-out for buying antiquities from dealers they suspected of selling looted art, over the past 20 years. They also withheld incriminating evidence when Italian authorities investigated this, all the while promising "full cooperation."
Tags: Getty; art; looted art; mismanagement; antiquities; art thefts
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Teetering C & A
The author investigated the company Collins & Aikman. That company had serious financial problems, but still qualified for tens of millions of dollars in state tax credits. The author found that the company had filed incorrect state income tax returns.
Tags: business ethics; tax; state government; corporate fraud
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The Spending Authority
This investigation focused on Colorado's Urban Renewal Authorities. The report found that the organization is not accountable, and can freely spend tax dollars on frivolous things and personal benefits.
Tags: FOIA; Freedom of Information; housing; government expenditures; taxes
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Audit Oddity
The author reviewed state income tax records, and found that people from a specific zip code were being audited at higher rates than the rest of the state. The author interviewed state officials and tax experts to try and explain the phenomenon.
Tags: taxes; income; data analysis; state government; Public Information Act request
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Save Our Homes: Shifting the Burden
The authors investigated the effectiveness of the 1995 Save Our Homes constitutional amendment in Florida. The law was designed to prevent protect homeowners, but ended up constructing a web of unequal and unfair taxation. They authors explore the various affects, both positive and negative, of the law.
Tags: property taxes; state government; landlords; business; rent; mortgage
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How Developers Cash in on Farmland; Law Fails to Save Florida Farmland; Appraisers Lax in Tax Break Scrutiny
The authors examined Florida's "Greenbelt" law, which is designed to help farmers stay in business. The authors found, though, that the law is ineffective and ends up costing local governments a lot of money. Developers use the law as a tax break, and consequently the law is "one of the weakest preservation programs in the nation."
Tags: developers; farm property; public records; FOIA; tax breaks; local government; farmers
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Tough Times, Tough Choices
These series of articles looked at the nation's financial crisis and explored the affects that it has on the average American. The authors wrote about raising taxes, cutting spending, early release programs and how education could suffer. AP's national presence made it possible for the investigation to cover every state and be relevant to every American,
Tags: budget; taxes; governors; financial crisis
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"Grave Robbers"
This investigation involves the case of two brothers who organized an identity theft ring and kept it going for more than two years. They were accused of stealing the identities of the recently deceased and using them to obtain more than $1.5 million worth of luxury cars, loans, and merchandise. Their ringleaders also stole 23 luxury cars.
Tags: identity theft ring; criminal court records; police reports; arrest warrant affidavits; Texas open records law; taxing authorities; deed transfers; auto registrations; real estate sales price; federal crime; Countrywide Home Loans; mortgage; Michael F. Tisdale; William R. Tisdale Jr.; America's Team Mortgage; Social Security Administration