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Trump Transition: Controversy Surrounds Nomination of Ex-Congressman to Lead IRS

In Citizen
January 17, 2025

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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 involved in assisting businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic. This tax credit has faced issues with fraud and has resulted in the government spending more money than initially projected.

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 new head of the Internal Revenue Service. This decision implies that he plans to dismiss the current leader of the tax collection agency, who was appointed by President Biden.

Following his defeat in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long has promoted a tax credit meant for the pandemic period that has been heavily abused, leading to a higher cost to the government than initially anticipated. To address the issue of fraud, lawmakers have attempted to end the tax credit program, and the IRS has temporarily halted the processing of claims to identify and eliminate false applications for the tax benefit.

During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about how he has been assisting businesses in claiming the Employee Retention Tax Credit. He mentioned that neither him nor his colleagues have had their claims denied by the tax agency so far. This tax credit program was established by Congress and former President Trump in 2020 to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic shutdown.

"We do not secretly help anyone qualify for this refund from the IRS. We ensure that they are eligible to receive their own money back with interest."

Donald Trump made a new selection for a key position in the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which would bring significant changes to the organization during a crucial time. The current administration, under Joe Biden, has invested large sums of money to update the IRS and enhance its ability to collect taxes, aiming to provide better service to taxpayers and combat tax evasion.

President Biden appointed Daniel Werfel, a former management consultant and civil servant with experience working in both Democratic and Republican administrations, to head the restructuring of the I.R.S. Werfel’s term was scheduled to continue until 2027.

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