Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-CT) has written a letter IRS Commissioner Everson to perform a cost-benefit analysis of estate tax auditors. Following up on a story in The New York Times, Dodd is concerned that plans to cut estate tax auditors - a group that is considered the most productive at the IRS in terms of revenue collected per hour of work - was politically motivated. He is requesting from Everson a "detailed justification of the job cuts" and a "quantitative description of the impact the proposed cuts will have on enforcement." According to Dodd's press release, "The National Taxpayer Advocate has estimated that as much as $250-$350 billion per year in taxes that are legally owed goes uncollected, an amount that translates to an extra $2,000 that the average taxpayer must pay every year in order to cover the tax avoidance of others." BNA (subscription required) has the full text of Dodd's letter.