Letter to the editor: Business aviation and the IRS

Your readers were unfortunately offered a caricature of those who use business aviation in a recent story (“IRS chief zeroes in on wealthy tax cheats in AP interview,” March 20, TribLive).

First, most companies using business aviation are small- or medium-sized businesses, and most passengers are midlevel employees. Business aviation allows these companies to reach customers in small cities and rural areas outside of those served by commercial airlines. Studies have shown that companies utilizing business aircraft consistently outperform comparable companies that don’t.

Second, business aviation flights are routinely conducted in full compliance with tax laws and applicable Securities and Exchange Commission rules. Simply put, when you look past the mischaracterizations, the IRS’s plan is nothing more than an audit in search of a problem. Unfortunately, the agency is mischaracterizing business aviation — an industry that supports 1.2 million manufacturing jobs and contributes $250 billion to GDP.

Ed Bolen

Washington, D.C.

The writer is president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association.