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Former Missouri congressman Billy Long has been chosen by Trump to lead the I.R.S. Long served in Congress for six terms and has since been involved in assisting businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic, which has faced issues of fraud and has resulted in higher costs for the government than expected.
Written by Andrew Duehren
Writing from the capital
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intention to nominate Billy Long, a former congressman from Missouri, to head the Internal Revenue Service. This move would involve removing 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 tax credit introduced during the pandemic that has been plagued by fraudulent activity, resulting in the government spending billions more than anticipated. Efforts have been made by lawmakers to eliminate the tax credit, and the I.R.S. has temporarily halted the processing of claims in order 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 claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit without any rejections from the tax agency. This credit was established in 2020 by Congress and former President Trump as a way to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic downturn.
"We don’t secretly help anyone get this refund," he stated. "We carefully verify that they are eligible for this refund from the I.R.S. with added interest."
President Trump made a new selection for a key position at the IRS through his social media platform. This decision comes at a crucial time as the Biden administration has invested significant funds into updating the agency and strengthening its tax enforcement to enhance customer experience and combat tax evasion.
President Biden selected 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 was expected to serve in this role until 2027.
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