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Trump Transition: Controversy Surrounding Trump’s Pick for IRS Leader

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

Transition of power from

Transition of power

Transition of power

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Former Missouri congressman Billy Long has been chosen by Trump to lead the I.R.S. Long, who served six terms in Congress, has been assisting businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic. Unfortunately, this tax credit has been plagued with fraud and has ended up costing the government billions more than expected.

Authored by Andrew Duehren

Updating from the capital

President-elect Donald J. Trump announced on Wednesday his intention to nominate Billy Long, a former congressman from Missouri, to take charge of the Internal Revenue Service. This decision indicates his plan to remove the current IRS head, who was appointed by President Biden.

After being defeated in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long has promoted a tax credit introduced during the pandemic that has been heavily abused by fraudsters, resulting in the government losing billions more than anticipated. In response, lawmakers have attempted to eliminate the tax credit and the I.R.S. temporarily halted processing claims to identify and reject fake applications for the tax break.

During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about how he assists businesses in claiming the Employee Retention Tax Credit. He mentioned that not a single claim has been denied by the tax agency so far. This program was established by Congress and former President Trump in 2020 as a way to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic shutdown.

"We don’t try to deceive anyone," he explained. "We carefully verify that they meet the requirements to receive this refund from the IRS, along with any applicable interest."

Donald Trump has made a new selection for a key position in the IRS, which was revealed on his online platform. This decision comes at a crucial time when the Biden administration has been investing heavily in updating the agency and strengthening its ability to collect taxes. The goal is to enhance customer service and combat tax evasion.

President Biden selected Daniel Werfel in 2022 to head the restructuring of the I.R.S. Werfel, a former management consultant and civil servant with experience in both Democratic and Republican administrations, was appointed to lead until 2027.

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