A man angry with the Internal Revenue Service flew a small airplane into a building on Thursday morning in Austin, Texas, in which several IRS offices are located.

The IRS has offices on the first floor of the building, including its civil enforcement and criminal investigations divisions, according to the Austin Statesman. Most employees were accounted for, but one IRS worker was killed, according to the Associated Press. Firefighters searching the building located the remains of Stack and the IRS employee. Thirteen people were injured, two of them critically as of Thursday night.

The suspect, Andrew Joseph Stack, 53, had also posted an online diatribe against the IRS, shortly before setting fire to his home, writing, "I know I am hardly the first one to decide I have had all that I can stand." In the document, signed  "Joe Stack (1956-2010)," he complained about Section 176 of the Tax Code on the treatment of technical personnel, and how it affected his taxes as a contract software engineer in the 1980s. He said that he had joined a campaign against the tax provision in 1987, and "spent close to $5,000 of my 'pocket change' and at least 1,000 hours of my time writing, printing and mailing to any senator, congressman, governor or slug that might listen; none did, and they universally treated me as if I was wasting their time."

 

The document was titled, "Well Mr. Big Brother IRS man ... take my pound of flesh and sleep well." In the document, he blamed the IRS for causing him to lose tens of thousands of dollars in retirement savings over three decades. Stack had started two software businesses in California that were suspended by state tax authorities for nonpayment of back taxes and failure to file a tax return.

 

It can be very frustrating to deal with the IRS. I can give you many, many examples. However, If you have a problem with your taxes, do not try to solve yourself. Engage a professional.