Paul Kiel
Paul Kiel covers business and consumer finance for ProPublica.
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Paul Kiel covers business and consumer finance for ProPublica.
In recent years, he’s focused on the U.S. tax system. The Secret IRS Files, which involved a team of ProPublica reporters, revealed key ways the ultrawealthy avoid taxes. Before that, he worked on The TurboTax Trap and Gutting the IRS investigations.
Past areas of focus included the foreclosure crisis, high-cost lending, the use of lawsuits to collect consumer debts, and the consumer bankruptcy system.
He has won numerous awards, including the Selden Ring Award, a Gerald Loeb Award, a Barlett & Steele Award, a Scripps Howard Award twice, a Hillman Prize, and a Philip Meyer Award from Investigative Reporters and Editors.
His work has appeared in several newspapers, including The Washington Post and The New York Times. He has also produced stories for National Public Radio and American Public Media’s Marketplace, as well as appeared on This American Life.
How Billionaires Have Sidestepped a Tax Aimed at the Rich
Wall Street financiers were a clear target of the tax, but some, on questionable legal grounds, have claimed their outsized profits were exempt, sometimes avoiding hundreds of millions in taxes.
How a Decades-Old Loophole Lets Billionaires Avoid Medicare Taxes
Some of Wall Street’s richest and most powerful figures are using a legal loophole to avoid paying millions of dollars in taxes earmarked for health care, a ProPublica investigation found.
IRS Audit of Trump Could Cost Former President More Than $100 Million
The tax agency concluded in its long-running investigation that Trump effectively claimed the same massive write-off twice on his failed Chicago tower.
Senate Investigation “Casts Fresh Doubt” About the Validity of Harlan Crow’s Yacht Tax Deductions
In their extensive probe, Senate investigators found evidence to suggest Crow has made repeated misrepresentations to the U.S. government. ProPublica revealed the tax maneuvers in a previous story.
FTC Orders Maker of TurboTax to Cease “Deceptive” Advertising
The federal agency, after an investigation prompted by ProPublica’s reporting, blasted Intuit for misleading customers about its “free” tax-filing program and directed the company to take specific steps to fix its ads.
Senators Question KPMG Role in Microsoft Profit-Shifting Scheme
The giant consulting firm proposed that Microsoft transfer billions in profits to a small factory in Puerto Rico. The step initially saved the software company billions — then led to an IRS audit and a bill for $28.9 billion in back taxes.
How a Maneuver in Puerto Rico Led to a $29 Billion Tax Bill for Microsoft
In the largest audit in U.S. history, the IRS rejected Microsoft’s attempts to channel profits to a small factory in Puerto Rico that burned Windows software onto CDs.
Justice Department Charges Ex-IRS Consultant With Leaking Tax Information to News Organizations
A DOJ statement appears to refer to IRS data that ProPublica has used to publish multiple stories on thousands of wealthy Americans. ProPublica maintains it does not know the source of the information.
TurboTax Parent Company’s Latest Argument Against Free Tax Filing: It Will Harm Black Taxpayers
Articles published around the country repeat Intuit’s assertion — sometimes almost word for word — that the upcoming IRS pilot program would hurt Black Americans. A researcher whose work is cited by Intuit says the company is misstating her findings.
How Harlan Crow Slashed his Tax Bill by Taking Clarence Thomas on Superyacht Cruises
In lavishing gifts on the Supreme Court justice, the billionaire GOP donor may have violated tax laws, according to tax experts.
The IRS Tiptoes Into Offering Free Online Tax Filing — and Possible Competition With TurboTax
In the wake of ProPublica’s reporting on the misleading tactics of the major tax-prep companies, Congress asked the IRS to examine whether it could offer free filing directly with the tax agency. A new pilot program will test the concept.