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Trump Transition: Ex-Congressman Billy Long Nominated to Lead IRS Amidst Tax Credit 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, who served six terms in Congress, has been involved in assisting businesses in claiming a tax credit during the pandemic. This tax credit has faced issues with fraud and has ended up costing the government more money than initially 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 be in charge of the Internal Revenue Service. This decision implies that Trump plans to remove the current leader of the IRS, who was appointed by Biden.

Following his defeat in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long has promoted a tax credit introduced during the pandemic that has been heavily impacted by fraudulent claims, resulting in a much higher cost to the government than initially anticipated. In response, lawmakers have attempted to end the tax credit program, and the I.R.S. has temporarily halted the processing of claims to identify and eliminate false applications for the tax benefit.

During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about his efforts to assist businesses in claiming the Employee Retention Tax Credit. He mentioned that so far, he and his team have not had any claims denied by the tax agency. This credit, established by Congress and Mr. Trump in 2020, was included in a stimulus bill to encourage businesses to continue paying their employees during the economic shutdown.

"We do not try to cheat or deceive anyone," he explained. "We carefully verify that they meet the necessary requirements to receive this refund from the IRS, which includes interest."

Donald Trump made an announcement on his social media platform about his selection for a key position at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which would bring significant changes to the agency at a crucial time. The Biden administration has allocated a large amount of funding towards updating the IRS and strengthening its efforts to collect taxes, with the goal of enhancing customer service and combating tax evasion.

In 2022, President Biden appointed Daniel Werfel to head the I.R.S. overhaul. Werfel is a former management consultant and civil servant with experience in both Democratic and Republican administrations. He will serve in this role until 2027.

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