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Former Missouri congressman Billy Long has been chosen by Trump to lead the IRS. Long has previously served six terms in Congress and has also assisted businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic, which has resulted in widespread fraud and cost the government more money than expected.
Written by Andrew Duehren
Writing from the capital
Donald J. Trump, who will soon become President, 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 also means that Trump plans to remove the current leader of the IRS, who was appointed by President Biden.
After being unsuccessful in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long promoted a tax credit intended for the pandemic period that has been heavily affected by fraud and ended up costing the government much 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 to identify and reject fraudulent applications for the tax break.
During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about his experiences assisting businesses in claiming the Employee Retention Tax Credit. He mentioned that neither he nor his team had faced any denials from the tax agency for the claims they had submitted. This credit was established by Congress and former President Trump in 2020, as a way to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees amidst the economic challenges caused by the shutdown.
"We don’t sneak anyone through," he stated. "We ensure that they meet the qualifications for this refund of their own money from the I.R.S. with interest."
Donald Trump has selected a new leader for the IRS, which comes at a crucial time. The Biden administration has invested a significant amount of money into updating the agency and enhancing its tax collection activities to provide better customer service and combat tax evasion.
President Biden selected Daniel Werfel, a former 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 was scheduled to continue until 2027.
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