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Former Congressman Billy Long from Missouri has been chosen by Trump to lead the IRS. During his six terms in office, Long has assisted businesses in obtaining a tax credit meant for pandemic relief, which has faced issues with fraud and ended up costing the government more than expected.
Authored by Andrew Duehren
Writing from the nation
On Wednesday, President-elect Donald J. Trump announced that he plans to nominate Billy Long, a former congressman from Missouri, to be in charge of the Internal Revenue Service. This decision means that Trump intends to remove the current leader of the IRS, who was appointed by Biden.
Following his defeat in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long promoted a tax credit introduced during the pandemic that has been heavily abused and ended up costing the government billions more than originally projected. In an effort to combat the fraudulent activity surrounding the tax credit, lawmakers have made attempts to eliminate it, and the I.R.S. has temporarily halted processing claims to identify and reject false applications.
During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about how he and his team have been successful in assisting businesses to apply for the Employee Retention Tax Credit. This program was established by Congress and former President Trump in 2020 to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic downturn. Mr. Long mentioned that so far, they have not had any of their claims denied by the tax agency.
"We do not engage in any sneaky practices," he stated. "We thoroughly verify that individuals meet the qualifications for a refund from the IRS, including interest on their own money."
Donald Trump announced his selection on his social media platform, which would significantly impact the operations of the I.R.S. during a crucial time. The Biden administration has allocated a large amount of money to update the agency and strengthen its efforts to collect taxes, with the goal of enhancing customer service and combating tax evasion.
President Biden selected Daniel Werfel in 2022 to be in charge of reforming the I.R.S. Werfel, who had experience working in various political administrations, was chosen to lead this effort until 2027.
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