Tough get tougher

Think the Internal Revenue Service is tough? Mark Everson, President Bush's nominee to administer the agency, promises to be even tougher and more aggressive in efforts to uncover tax cheats.

Mr. Everson, approved last week by the Senate Finance Committee, last month told the committee that he plans to track down more tax evaders during his five-year term. He replaces Charles Rossotti, who last year reported that the IRS didn't investigate 75 percent of the taxpayers who failed to file a return. Auditors checked only 1 in 174 returns in fiscal 2002, compared to almost 1 in 60 returns in 1996. "It's very hard to size what's behind the curtain," Mr. Everson told the committee.