Let’s Apply EITC Penalties To PIRP
You may be wondering why I think EITC and PIRP ( Earned Income Tax Credit and Point and Insurance Program, respectively) share any similarities. Well, they don’t. At least not yet.
Under the current personal income tax law, if you claim the earned income tax credit, and it is later disallowed because you made a fraudulent claim, you lose the right to claim the EITC for ten, count ’em, ten years. Which means by the time you’re able to legitimately claim the EITC again, you’ll either be too old, or the children you would’ve used to qualify for it have children of their own.
What Types Of Penalties Should We Impose?
Tell you what, let’s apply the same penalties to everyone who’s ever claimed to attend and participate in a six-hour Point and Insurance Reduction Program class, but didn’t. They would lose both the 10% discount on their auto insurance, and the reduction of up to four points on their driver’s license. And they would not qualify for either benefit for no less than ten (10) years.
Even better, for those we catch engaging in fraudulent actions, let’s give them two (2) points for the first infraction, three points for the second, license suspension for a period of not less than six months for the third, and license revocation for no less than a year for the fourth infraction for as long as they have the privilege of a New York State Drivers license.
If they’re crazy enough to try it more than four (4) times? Well, you can’t fix stupid.
Mandate that those so caught must actually attend an actual PIRP class at least once every three (3) years, without the benefit of getting either point reduction or a discount on their insurance. Talk about your new assessment!
Wait, you supposedly attended a class, and you claim to have never heard about assessments?
Are you sure you attended a full six-hour class?
So why am I venting about this today? Well, as a NYS-certified PIRP Delivery Agent and Instructor, I take great pride in making sure everyone who attends one of my classes leaves feeling;
- Empowered by the knowledge they’ve acquired,
- Confident in their ability to “survive the driving experience” or,
- Afraid to drive ever again. And wondering how the heck they’ve lived this long.
What really drives me nuts is when I talk to clients about an upcoming class, and they tell me they did it the easy way. They are not ashamed to tell me they go to certain agencies where they pay about $100.00, copy the answers to the driving test, fill out a few forms.
No six-hour class. Heck, I’m surprised if it takes more than six (6) minutes to “complete” a course this way. This is dangerous for you and anyone else near the road. For insurance companies, they are losing premium dollars. For the driving and walking publics, you’re sharing the road with people who shouldn’t legally have drivers licenses. And the United States Treasury loses because these crooks require payment in cold, hard, cash. Just imagine how much taxable income is not being declared.
Isn’t it just amazing how I can make my wild titles work out at the end?
How Do We Prevent This Type of Fraud?
In my next post, I’ll outline the methods I’d use to stifle the growth of this felony activity.
What Ever Happened To The Series On Force-Placed Homeowners Insurance?
Not only will that series continue, I’ve got some new wrinkles for you. Stay tuned.