Book Reviews: Confessions of a Tax Collector

Confessions of a tax collector by Richard Yancey is a fascinating journey of a professional writer's experiences in the world of tax collecting via the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The book, published in 2004 begins with Yancey's introduction to the characters, setting and reasons why he applied to work at the IRS before the story progresses thereafter. The story begins in the early 1990's when Yancey entered the world of tax collecting and the IRS.

The reason Yancey even applied to the IRS was he had quit law school and had discovered an IRS program designed for undergraduate who completed their course work with honors. He applied for the position as he also describes with descriptive prose that takes the reader into the moment quite effectively. As the book's title suggests, Yancey later became a Revenue Officer (RO) at the IRS. Yancey did so against his grain largely for financial reasons and had to take his training in the different, yet warmer state of Florida. Yancey slowly but surely became entrenched in the world of tax collection.

The main plot of 'Confessions of a tax collector' involves Yancey's choices and thoughts while he becomes a Revenue Officer and the circumstances and people he encountered during his application, training and career. These encounters include experiences with other Revenue Officers, managers, trainers and tax payers. A particularly strong character that emerges in the book is character named Cunningham, one of Yancey's supervisors and his reassigned trainer. Cunningham seems to take on larger than life characteristics of impeccable calculation and capacity in his role in the IRS and Yancey provides entertaining and superb detailed explanation of the characters within his story.

The subplot of Confessions of a tax collector includes Yancey's girlfriend Pam who's relationship with Yancey seems to be on the rocks from the very beginning with her seemingly constant criticism of Yancey's character and decision making. The plots evolve throughout the book and involve changes in the authors relationships and roles within the IRS. Some of the recollections, encounters and events Yancey portrays in the book provide vivid and detailed human and bureaucratic perspectives on the realities of tax collection. Another character in the book includes Yancey's future wife Anne although most of the characters names have been altered along with the events to protect their identities.

All in all 'Confessions of a tax collector' is an interesting read about a writer's experience in the IRS. The book provides interesting insight into the workings of the IRS in the 1990's, and one man's recollection of the hardships, growth and experiences that took place through his work as an IRS Revenue Officer. Yancey left the IRS after 12 years and became a writer thereafter. He has published several fiction books including 'The Monstrumologist' and 'The highly effective detective'.