The IRS has taken a lot of heat lately. It now seems beyond doubt that this supposedly apolitical organization targeted opponents of the president. By seeking the protection of the fifth amendment its representative Lois Lerner implied her testimony on unfairly targeting Americans may have landed her in jail. But you do not have to be an American to fear and loath the IRS. Foreign governments, citizens, and even Americans abroad are frequent targets of the cash-hungry arm of the US government. This includes yours truly.
In 2011, a year after I left the states, I sold stock I had held for many years. Because of my international address my broker made the conservative assumption (in terms of their legal protection) that I was not a US citizen. I had not filled out the documentation to prove otherwise. They therefore double-witheld taxes from the sale’s profit. It took me 18 months to get the IRS to refund my over-payment. When the IRS repaid me with interest I was reasonably pleased. But then things got very bad.