7 views 3 mins 0 comments

Trump Transition: Ex-Congressman Who Hawked Tax Credits Nominated to Lead IRS

In Citizen
January 18, 2025

Transition of power from

Transition of power

Transition of power

Prom

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

Written 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 be in charge of the Internal Revenue Service. This move implies that he plans to remove the current leader of the IRS, who was appointed by President Biden.

Following his loss in a Senate primary in 2022, Mr. Long has promoted a tax credit introduced during the pandemic that has been plagued by fraudulent activity, leading to a higher cost to the government than initially anticipated. In response, lawmakers have attempted to eliminate the tax credit, and the I.R.S. temporarily halted the processing of claims to identify and reject false applications.

During a podcast interview in 2023, Mr. Long talked about his efforts in assisting businesses in claiming the Employee Retention Tax Credit. He mentioned that neither he nor his team had faced any rejections from the tax agency for these claims. The program was established by Congress and former President Trump in 2020 as a part of a comprehensive stimulus package aimed at encouraging businesses to continue paying their employees amidst the economic downturn.

He stated that they do not sneak anyone through, but instead ensure that they actually qualify for the IRS refund with interest.

Announced on his social media platform, Mr. Trump’s selection would bring significant changes to the IRS during a crucial time. The Biden administration has invested heavily in updating the agency and strengthening its tax collection activities 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, who has experience working in various political administrations, was chosen for the role. His term was expected to continue until 2027.

We are currently experiencing difficulties in accessing the content of the article.

To utilize certain features on this website, make sure to turn

We appreciate your understanding as we confirm your access. If you are currently in Reader mode, please log out and sign in to your Times account, or consider subscribing to access all of The Times’ content.

We appreciate your understanding as we confirm access.

Are you currently a member? Please sign in.

Interested in receiving all the content from The Times? Sign up for

Prom

Index of the website

Navigation for information on the