Harris Helped Save Our Family Farm

We are the Taylors and we operate C.W. Taylor Farms LLC and Taylor's Produce. We are proud of our family farm, our community and our country. We are proud of our farming heritage, since 1928.

One morning in the fall of 2011, IRS agents knocked on our door without warning. They said that we "were not in trouble," but that "they had some questions for us." Our farm is our life, and we operate in full compliance with the law, so we invited them in. We are farmers and we grow/sell vegetables, grain and chickens.

That is when our nightmare began. After an hour-long interrogation, the IRS agents informed us they had already seized our entire bank account. Every penny we had earned that summer was gone. They said we had violated a banking law known as "structuring," a law designed to catch drug dealers, terrorists and money launderers. We had no idea such a banking law existed or that it is a felony crime.

After months of reviewing our records and investigating our business, the IRS found no tax evasion or any other crime. We expected to get our money back. That did not happen. Simply because of how we made our cash deposits, we were penalized half of the seized amount in a "civil forfeiture." We have been forced to spend over $30,000 in legal fees to defend ourselves against our government.

We thank Congressman Andy Harris for helping us through this nightmare. He met with us personally in our hometown of Preston soon after this happened. He supported us through hearings with the Congressional Ways and Means Committee, as we testified and fought to get our money back. Through pressure from Congressman Harris, calling out the IRS/DOJ on their unethical practices, the IRS has since "softened" their policies in regard to such seizures.

However, the law allowing such seizures still exists, and this can still happen to other small business owners. The Clyde-Hirsch-Sowers RESPECT Act was unanimously passed by the House, attempting to rein in the IRS and protect innocent business owners in the future. We urge the Senate to pass this bill. Congressman Harris' actions on Capitol Hill are the reason we finally received all of our money back, after almost seven years, and we are grateful to finally close this sad chapter in our lives.

We are thankful to have a congressman who supports his constituents.

CALVIN AND DEBBY TAYLOR

Preston