Tim Geithner has to acknowledge one of four possibilities:
- The tax code is too complex for a treasury secretary to comprehend
- This particular treasury secretary can’t understand the tax code
- This particular treasury secretary doesn’t pay attention to details when it comes to accounting
- This particular treasury secretary did understand the tax code and defied it
In an era where nobody alive understands the whole tax code and calling the IRS will get a taxpayer seemingly random answers to questions, let’s hope Tim goes for Door #1 and uses his unique position to disassemble a legal monstrosity that makes every American a criminal.
Tim may have painted himself into this corner, but he can parlay that embarrassment into heralded accomplishment.