Former Representative Billy Long, a Republican from Missouri, speaks throughout a marketing campaign occasion for former US President Donald Trump at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa, US, on Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024.
Al Drago | Bloomberg | Getty Images
President-elect Donald Trump has tapped former Missouri congressman Billy Long to guide the IRS, which has triggered blended reactions from Washington and the tax community.
If confirmed, Long might imply a shift for the company, which has launched into a multibillion-dollar revamp, together with upgrades to customer support, expertise and a free filing program. The company has additionally expanded enforcement to gather unpaid taxes from rich people, massive firms and complicated partnerships.
In 2022, Congress permitted practically $80 billion in IRS funding, which has been targeted by Republicans and could be at risk below the Trump administration.
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“Since leaving Congress, Billy has labored as a enterprise and tax advisor, serving to small companies navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Wednesday. “Taxpayers and the fantastic workers of the IRS will love having Billy on the helm.”
Long labored as an auctioneer earlier than serving six phrases within the House of Representatives from 2011 to 2023.
Trump’s announcement alerts plans to fireplace the present IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel earlier than his time period ends in 2027, which is permitted by law. Werfel was appointed by President Joe Biden and has led the company since 2023.
Long is ‘an unconventional choose’
Former IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, who served below Trump and Biden from 2018 to 2022, mentioned he does not know Long, or whether or not Long and Werfel have mentioned the transition.
If confirmed to succeed Werfel, “I’m hopeful Billy Long will rapidly grasp the significance of the IRS and of the IRS workers to the general success of our nation,” he advised CNBC in an electronic mail.
Mark Everson, who served as IRS commissioner from 2003 to 2007, described Long as “an unconventional choose,” in contrast with the expertise profiles of earlier IRS leaders.
But Long’s years in Congress will present “credibility up on the Hill with the individuals who matter, which shall be vital,” mentioned Everson, who’s at present vice chairman at Alliantgroup, a administration consulting firm.
Long could also be in a “higher place than others to argue for the suitable independence of the company,” he mentioned.
But some Democrats expressed issues over Trump’s nominee.
“There are loads of the explanation why former Congressman Billy Long is a weird alternative for this position,” Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said in a statement Wednesday.
“What’s most regarding is that Mr. Long left workplace and jumped into the scam-plagued business involving the Employee Retention Tax Credit,” he mentioned.
The employee retention credit was a pandemic-era tax break designed to assist small companies impacted by shutdowns. However, the IRS has denied billions in improper filings after corporations pressured companies to amend payroll returns to say the tax break.
The Trump transition crew did not reply to CNBC’s request for remark.
Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, lead Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, on Thursday voiced assist for Long.
“The IRS has skilled myriad issues in recent times,” together with privateness and safety of taxpayer info, inefficiency and “an outsized emphasis” on enforcement, he said in a statement.
“Protecting taxpayers and addressing an ever-encroaching IRS is a prime precedence, and I stay up for studying extra about Mr. Long’s imaginative and prescient for the company,” Crapo mentioned.
