Biden’s I.R.S. Nominee Will Be Grilled About $80 Billion Overhaul
New York TimesNov 25, 2022
US IRS to Hire 30K New Employees Under $80B Plan
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Image copyright: Getty Images [via The New York Post]
The Facts
As 12K employees are expected to retire by 2025, including 4.7K enforcement staff, the US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said Thursday it would hire nearly 30K new employees and deploy new technology over the next two years as part of an $80B investment plan to improve tax enforcement and customer service.
The IRS's Strategic Operating Plan will commit about $8.64B during fiscal years 2023 and 2024, hiring 7,239 new enforcement staff during those years, primarily to audit wealthy Americans and big corporations. However, the plan specifies it won't increase audit rates for those who earn less than $400k a year.
The Spin
Republican narrative
How do you know when the IRS is lying? When it tells average taxpayers that it won't target them. According to a recent study, households earning less than $25K a year are five times as likely to be audited by the agency than everyone else, and Biden's new beefed-up IRS will continue this trend. This plan ensures that ordinary Americans will see their hard-earned money taken by the government.
Democratic narrative
Republicans' concerns are unfounded, as the plan doesn't include a new wave of IRS audits for the average American. The agency has been starved of resources for years, missing out on billions every year due to corporate tax evasion. With the new funding, the IRS will be able to access those missing funds and reinvest them into the country, making this a win-win situation for everyone.
