, ▁energy ▁reg ulations , ▁and ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁tax ▁and ▁energy ▁laws . ▁After ▁ 1 9 8 6 , ▁the ▁W PT ▁im posed ▁little ▁or ▁no ▁tax ▁li ability ▁on ▁oil ▁produ cers ▁because ▁oil ▁prices ▁were ▁below ▁the ▁threshold ▁base ▁prices ▁that ▁triggered ▁it . ▁O il ▁produ cers ▁were ▁obliged ▁to ▁comp ly ▁with ▁the ▁paper work ▁requirements ▁of ▁the ▁law , ▁however , ▁and ▁the ▁In ternal ▁Re venue ▁Service ▁( IR S ) ▁was ▁comp elled ▁to ▁admin ister ▁the ▁system ▁despite ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁the ▁tax ▁generated ▁no ▁re venue , ▁reported ly ▁sp ending ▁about ▁$ 1 5 ▁million ▁a ▁year ▁to ▁do ▁so . ▁ ▁Since ▁ 1 9 8 8 , ▁no ▁wind fall ▁profit ▁tax ▁has ▁been ▁en act ed ▁in ▁the ▁U . S ., ▁however , ▁when ▁gas ▁prices ▁once ▁again ▁reached ▁record ▁levels ▁there ▁was ▁renew ed ▁pressure ▁on ▁the ▁U . S . ▁government ▁to ▁bring ▁back ▁the ▁tax . ▁ ▁At ▁least ▁nine ▁b ills ▁that ▁pur port ed ▁to ▁tax ▁wind fall ▁prof its ▁of ▁cru de ▁oil ▁produ cers ▁were ▁introduced ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 1 0 th ▁United ▁States ▁Congress ▁during ▁ 2 0 0 7 - 0 8 ▁( HR ▁ 1 5 0 0 , ▁H R ▁ 2 3 7 2 , ▁H R ▁ 5 8 0 0 , ▁H R ▁ 6 0 0 0 , ▁S . 1 2 3 8 , ▁S . 2 7 6