Transition of power from
The period of
Transition from the
Prom
Donald Trump has chosen former Congressman Billy Long to lead the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Long, who has served six terms representing Missouri in Congress, has been involved in assisting businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic. This tax credit has faced issues with fraud and has ended up costing the government much more than originally expected.
Written by Andrew Duehren
Writing from the capital
President-elect Donald J. Trump announced on Wednesday his intention to appoint Billy Long, a former congressman from Missouri, as the head of the Internal Revenue Service. This decision indicates his plan to dismiss the current IRS leader, who was appointed by President Biden.
Following his defeat in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long promoted a tax credit introduced during the pandemic that has been plagued by fraudulent activity, resulting in significantly higher costs for the government than initially anticipated. In response, lawmakers have attempted to halt the tax credit program, and the I.R.S. has taken steps such as temporarily suspending the processing of claims to identify and eliminate false applications seeking the tax benefit.
During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about his efforts in assisting businesses in accessing the Employee Retention Tax Credit. He mentioned that neither he nor his team had experienced any rejections from the tax agency for claims made. The program, established by Congress and former President Trump in 2020, was designed to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic downturn.
"We don’t secretly allow anyone to receive the refund," he explained. "We ensure that they meet all the qualifications to receive their own money back from the IRS, along with any interest owed."
President Trump made a new selection for a key position at the IRS, which was revealed on his social media platform. This decision is significant as it comes at a crucial time for the agency. The Biden administration has invested a significant amount of money into updating the IRS and strengthening its tax enforcement activities to enhance service for taxpayers and combat tax evasion.
President Biden appointed Daniel Werfel, a previous management consultant and government employee with experience in both Democratic and Republican administrations, to head the restructuring of the I.R.S in 2022. Werfel’s term in this position was scheduled to end in 2027.
We are experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.
To access this website fully, make sure to activate JavaScript in
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please close it and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times content.
We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.
Are you currently a member? Please sign in to access the
Interested in accessing all content from The Times? Subscribe today to gain
Prom
Index of Website
Navigation for Information on the Website
