{"id":2078688,"date":"2023-10-25T06:33:04","date_gmt":"2023-10-25T10:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-grill-irs-chief-over-dysfunction-democrats-cry-hypocrisy\/"},"modified":"2023-10-25T06:39:03","modified_gmt":"2023-10-25T10:39:03","slug":"republicans-grill-irs-chief-over-dysfunction-democrats-cry-hypocrisy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-grill-irs-chief-over-dysfunction-democrats-cry-hypocrisy\/","title":{"rendered":"GOP questions IRS chief on dysfunction, Dems call out hypocrisy."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Frepublicans-grill-irs-chief-over-dysfunction-democrats-cry-hypocrisy%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2078688&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<h2>Republicans Grill IRS \u200bCommissioner Over Agency Dysfunction Despite Billions in Funding<\/h2>\n<p>Republicans on the\u2064 House Oversight and Accountability Committee took IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel to task on Oct. 24 for his agency\u2019s\u2062 ongoing\u200c \u201cdysfunction\u201d despite billions in new funding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe\u200b dysfunction is across the board, from data breaches, leaks,\u2063 and identity theft to slow \u2063audits, backlogs, and really \u200dhorrific customer service,\u201d noted Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) at a joint\u200c subcommittee hearing.<\/p>\n<p>Ms. \u2063McClain, who chairs the subcommittee on\u200b Health Care and Financial Services, noted that the\u2063 Inflation\u2063 Reduction Act (IRA) gifted the IRS with an $80 billion funding boost over a 10-year span\u2014an \u200damount eventually cut down to roughly $60\u200b billion by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h2>Related Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>\n    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/hurricane-hilary-forms-could-bring-heavy-rain-to-southern-california\/\" title=\"Hurricane Hilary emerges, may bring downpours to SoCal.\">\/epochtv\/house-oversight-committee-hearing-<\/a>on-oversight-of-the-irs-5515592?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories&#8221;><\/p>\n<h3>House Oversight Committee\u200d Hearing on Oversight of the IRS<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>10\/24\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n    <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/irs-collects-160-million-from-wealthy-taxpayers-in-latest-compliance-effort-5515269?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\"><\/p>\n<h3>IRS Collects $160 Million From Wealthy Taxpayers in Latest Compliance Effort<\/h3>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p>10\/23\/2023<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cThis funding spree \u200bprioritizes enforcement over\u2064 improving \u2064taxpayer services,\u201d she said, pointing out that most of\u200c the funding was\u200d allocated for \u2062enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>The congresswoman noted that call wait\u2064 times had been of \u200cparticular concern to her constituents, \u2064some of \u2064whom have been trying for months to get in touch with the IRS to no \u2064avail.<\/p>\n<p>Revealing that she had even experienced the same \u200dproblem, she \u2062asserted: \u201cIf a \u2063private business did what the IRS does on a daily basis, \u2063it\u2063 would \u2063quickly\u200d go out of business.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr. Werfel, however, said that during the past tax season, the agency\u2019s\u2063 overall performance had \u201ctremendously\u201d improved due to the IRA funding.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSpecifically, we were able to immediately hire 5,000 new customer service representatives and put them on the phones,\u201d he\u2064 said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo, for those that called during filing season\u2014and that\u2019s the end of January to mid-April\u2014we were able to answer 87 percent\u2064 of those calls \u200bwith a three-minute wait \u2064time.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2><strong>Other Complaints<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Another\u2062 concern \u200braised by Rep. Gary Palmer (R-Ala.) was the IRS\u2019s new $600 reporting threshold for payment app transactions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI know you keep talking about going after millionaires and billionaires, but you\u2019re also \u2063going after\u2064 Taylor Swift fans who sold their tickets for over $600,\u201d he\u2064 said.<\/p>\n<p>The previous threshold\u2014prior to 2023\u2014only targeted those \u200cwho \u2064received at least $20,000 and had more than\u200b 200 transactions in one year. The new rule, implemented under the American \u200dRescue Plan Act of 2021, has no specified threshold for the number of \u2063transactions.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just millionaires and billionaires, you\u2019re also going after auditing small businesses and others,\u201d Mr. Palmer added, rebuking the commissioner for trying to \u201caudit our way out of the tax gap.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The congressman also noted that the IRS was recently <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/irs-accused-of-backdating-penalty-approvals-in-crackdown-on-conservation-easement-tax-breaks-5477909\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accused of backdating<\/a> penalty approvals and asked Mr. Werfel whether\u200b the personnel\u200c responsible would be fired.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cKeeping in mind the severity of the penalties that are imposed\u2063 on private citizens, \u2064the\u200d least that \u200canybody can expect is that someone be dismissed from their \u200bjob,\u201d Mr. Palmer said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mr. Werfel replied that the agency was \u2063\u201ctaking all the right steps\u201d to correct the situation but would not comment \u2063on whether\u2064 those\u2062 responsible would be fired.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2><strong>Democrats Push\u2063 Back<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>While Republicans grilled the commissioner over the \u2064IRS\u2019s shortcomings, Democrats touted\u200d the agency\u2019s year-over-year\u2064 improvements as a \u200dwin for the IRA.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe IRS answered 6.5 million more calls than\u200c last year,\u200d cutting the wait times down \u200bby \u206286\u200c percent, which I think is phenomenal,\u201d Rep. Kweisi Mfume \u2064(D-Md.) noted.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt served more than\u2064 140,000 additional taxpayers \u200cand cleared the backlog of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/republicans-grill-irs-chief-over-dysfunction-democrats-cry-hypocrisy\/\" title=\"GOP questions IRS chief on dysfunction, Dems call out hypocrisy.\">unprocessed 2022 individual tax returns<\/a> with no errors.\u2062 Now, you\u2019ve got to be doing something right to have those kinds of numbers that \u2062are certifiable and\u2064 verifiable.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Meanwhile, Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.), the \u200dtop Democrat on the Oversight Committee, slammed his Republican colleagues for their remarks considering their ongoing struggles to elect\u2062 a speaker.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne can only regard\u200b with amazement that any member of the Republican party today \u2062would lecture the commissioner of the IRS about efficiency or organization or anything else looking\u2064 at\u200d what the Republicans\u2063 are saying about the Republicans today on Capitol Hill, as we live through all\u2063 of the reverberations of the Chaos Caucus,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>Rattling off Republican members\u2019 \u200bcritiques of the chaos within their own party,\u200c he added, \u201cIt would\u200d be great if\u2064 we could actually get a speaker of the House\u2062 and a functioning House of Representatives so we could\u2062 deal with these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>That view was shared by Rep. \u200bKatie Porter\u2064 (D-Calif.), who accused \u201copportunistic Republicans\u201d of weakening Congress with their infighting.<\/p>\n<p>The hearing followed House Republicans\u2019 election of Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn.)\u2063 as their third nominee for speaker. But\u2062 that result was short-lived as, lacking the necessary support, he later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/tom-emmer-becomes-gops-3rd-speaker-pick-but-path-to-gavel-unclear-5515766\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">withdrew<\/a> his name from contention.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The slate of other candidates for the position includes Reps. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.),\u2064 Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Kevin Hern (R-Okla.), Mike Johnson (R-La.), and Roger\u2063 Williams (R-Texas).<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> \u2062How do Republicans\u2062 and Democrats differ in their approaches to addressing the \u200bissues faced by the IRS and\u200b enhancing taxpayer services<\/h2>\n<p><span>  IRS has <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/standoff-between-chicago-public-schools-and-teachers-continues\/\" title=\"Standoff between Chicago Public Schools and teachers continues\">made significant progress<\/a> in recent years \u2063and has been able to provide better customer service and\u200c more efficient operations thanks to the increased funding,\u201d\u2064 said Rep. Maria Sanchez (D-N.Y.).<\/p>\n<p>She argued that the agency\u2019s\u2064 challenges were not solely\u2062 the result of funding issues but also \u2063due\u2063 to the complex\u2063 tax code and the constant\u2062 changes it undergoes. Additionally, \u2062she emphasized \u200cthat the\u2063 IRS had to enforce tax compliance to ensure fairness and prevent tax evasion.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not just about answering phone calls and improving\u200d customer service. We also need to hold taxpayers accountable and ensure \u200dthat\u200b everyone pays their fair share,\u201d \u2064Rep. Sanchez added.<\/p>\n<p>She \u2064further defended the $600 reporting threshold for payment app transactions, stating\u200c that it would help \u200bimprove tax compliance and prevent underreporting \u2063of income by individuals and small businesses.<\/p>\n<p>Both Republicans and Democrats agreed that there were areas where the IRS could improve its operations and enhance taxpayer services. However, they differed in their approaches and priorities in addressing \u2064these issues.<\/p>\n<p>As the hearing concluded, it became apparent \u200cthat both parties acknowledged the\u200b need for IRS reform. However, Republicans emphasized the agency\u2019s dysfunction despite billions in funding, while Democrats highlighted \u200dthe \u200cimprovements made and the importance of tax enforcement.<\/p>\n<p>It remains \u200bto \u2064be seen how these \u200ddiscussions will translate into concrete action to address the\u200d challenges faced by the IRS and enhance its operations and services.<\/p>\n<h3>References:<\/h3>\n<p>House Oversight Committee Hearing on Oversight \u2062of\u2063 the IRS. (2023, October 24). The Epoch Times. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/house-oversight-committee-hearing-on-oversight-of-the-irs-5515592?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/epochtv\/house-oversight-committee-hearing-on-oversight-of-the-irs-5515592?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories<\/a><\/p>\n<p>IRS Collects $160 Million From Wealthy Taxpayers in Latest Compliance Effort. (2023, October 23). The Epoch Times. Retrieved from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/irs-collects-160-million-from-wealthy-taxpayers-in-latest-compliance-effort-5515269?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories\">http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/irs-collects-160-million-from-wealthy-taxpayers-in-latest-compliance-effort-5515269?ea_src=author_manual&#038;ea_med=related_stories<\/a><\/p>\n<p>IRS Accused of Backdating Penalty Approvals in Crackdown on Conservation Easement Tax Breaks. (2023, September\u2062 22). The \u200cEpoch Times. Retrieved from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article\/irs-accused-of-backdating-penalty-approvals-in-crackdown-on-conservation-easement-tax-breaks-5477909\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/article<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Republicans on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee criticized IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel on Oct. 24 for the agency&#8217;s continued &#8220;dysfunction&#8221; despite receiving billions in new funding. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) highlighted various issues, including data breaches, leaks, identity theft, slow audits, backlogs, and poor customer service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1226,"featured_media":2078689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2078688","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2078688","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1226"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2078688"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2078688\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2078689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2078688"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2078688"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2078688"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}