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Former Missouri congressman Billy Long has been chosen by Trump to lead the Internal Revenue Service. Long, who served six terms in Congress, has been assisting businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic that has faced issues with fraud and has ended up costing the government more money than 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 move indicates Trump’s plan to remove the current leader of the IRS, who was appointed by President Biden.
Following his defeat in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long has promoted a pandemic-related tax credit that has been plagued by fraudulent activity, causing the government to incur billions of dollars in unexpected costs. In response, lawmakers have attempted to eliminate the tax credit, and the I.R.S. has temporarily halted the processing of claims to identify and reject false applications for the tax benefit.
During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about how he and his team have successfully helped businesses apply for the Employee Retention Tax Credit without any rejections from the tax agency. This program, established by Congress and Mr. Trump in 2020, was included in a stimulus bill to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic slowdown.
"We don’t try to deceive anyone," he stated. "We ensure that they legitimately qualify for the refund from the IRS, along with any interest owed to them."
President Trump made a new selection for a position at the IRS, which was announced on his social media platform. This decision would significantly impact the IRS during an important time. The Biden administration has invested a substantial amount of money in updating the agency and strengthening its efforts to collect taxes, aiming to enhance customer service and combat tax evasion.
President Biden appointed Daniel Werfel, a former consultant and government employee with experience in both Democratic and Republican administrations, to head the restructuring of the I.R.S. Werfel was expected to serve in this role until 2027.
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