Randa Abdelfattah and Ramteen Arablui

But it did restore hope among many people that they were not alone in the struggle, that the government was growing to meet their needs, that taxes were the engine for that growth, and that trustee Uncle Elmer was making sure everyone paid their fair share, gangsters, banksters, and politicians alike.

Coming up, that trust is put to the ultimate test.

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New Deal dictator.

On March 9th, 1942, just a few months after the U.S.

entered World War II, Elmer Eyrie received a letter from Franklin Roosevelt himself.

This is Paul Camacho.

He's a retired special agent for the IRS Criminal Investigation Division.

And so he's writing this letter.

Dear Mr. Irie.

And telling Elmer, you know, I'm looking back at your career when you first started.

I feel I should take a moment to tell you of my pride in the work of the Intelligence Unit.

As the years have gone by, the Intelligence Unit has become a shining mark, not only of incorruptibility, but what is just as important, of A1 efficiency.

And I just want to thank you, because going into this tax season... On this coming March 15th, we will be unpopular with more millions of taxpayers than ever before.

I mean, they're in a perfect position for an agency to hate.

Back then, March 15th was tax day, and Roosevelt, needing money fast to fund World War II, had pushed through the victory tax of 1942, hoping the goodwill and trust Elmer Irie had built up with the public would help this new tax land with them.

Suddenly, millions and millions of Americans who've never had to pay income taxes are suddenly paying them for the first time.

This is Joe Thorndyke, historian for Tax Analysts, a nonprofit provider of tax information.

And that's how the federal government manages to take what they called a class tax and turn it into a mass tax.