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Trump Transition: Ex-Congressman Billy Long Nominated to Lead I.R.S. Amid Controversy

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

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Former Missouri congressman Billy Long has been chosen by Trump to lead the IRS. Long has been involved in assisting businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic, which has faced issues of fraud and ended up costing the government more than expected.

Written by Andrew Duehren

Writing from the capital

President-elect Donald J. Trump announced his intention to nominate Billy Long, a former congressman from Missouri, to be in charge of the Internal Revenue Service. This decision implies that he plans to remove the current leader appointed by Biden.

Following his loss in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long has promoted a tax credit introduced during the pandemic that has faced widespread fraud, resulting in the government incurring billions more in costs than initially projected. In response, lawmakers have attempted to eliminate the tax credit, with the I.R.S. pausing the processing of claims to identify and reject fraudulent applications.

During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about how he and his team have not had any of their claims denied by the tax agency when helping businesses with the Employee Retention Tax Credit. This program, created in 2020 by Congress and Mr. Trump, was included in a stimulus bill to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic shutdown.

He emphasized that they do not sneak anyone through, but rather ensure that they truly qualify for the refund with interest from the I.R.S.

President Trump made a new selection for a position within the Internal Revenue Service, which would bring significant change to the agency during a critical time. The Biden administration has been investing large amounts of money into updating the IRS and strengthening its ability to collect taxes, with the goal of enhancing customer service and combating tax evasion.

President Biden appointed Daniel Werfel in 2022 to lead the restructuring of the I.R.S. Werfel, who had previous experience as a management consultant and civil servant in various administrations, was chosen for the role. His term was planned to continue until 2027.

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