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by robertlagrant 1025 days ago
> There is a contingent of Congress that does not want to make tax preparation easier because it aligns with their narrative that taxes are bad.

Is this why the current president hired 80000 new IRS agents instead of making a simple system that presents this electronically for confirmation?
3 comments
morpheuskafka 1025 days ago
It was 80,000 employees, not agents (Revenue Agents or CI Agents), the total includes IT, customer service, return processing/mailroom, legal research/appeals, HR, etc. across the entire organization.

Fun fact, the IRS has people that go out to oil refineries and make sure the transfers are being reported accurately and tax-free diesel is dyed correctly. They have people who advise the State Department on negotiating tax treaties.

Additionally, the total was an estimate of how many employees could be hired through 2031, including backfilling positions. Over half of all IRS employees are currently eligible for retirement, so significant departures are expected in the coming years.

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landemva 1025 days ago
Since you brought up refinery visits in the context of 80,000 hires I guess it is significant. Do you have an estimate of how many full time positions are for going to refineries to look at red diesel? Is this something a State could do?
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underlipton 1025 days ago
No, but there is a contingent of Congress that does not want to make tax preparation easier because placating tax prep companies aligns with their campaign fundraising strategy. I assume that our president was one of them when he was a senator, and continues to be friends with legislators who are included in that contingent.
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azernik 1025 days ago
Yes. It is literally illegal for him to make that simple system without Congressional approval.
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robertlagrant 1025 days ago
Yes, but it's legal with Congressional approval. Has he been proposing it, and Congress have rejected?
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azernik 1024 days ago
Yes. The article itself is about lobbying against a law the President is proposing (and pushing through commissioned studies, hired experts, &c)

See eg this polemic from House Republicans blaming him for it: https://waysandmeans.house.gov/report-on-direct-e-file-progr...

And here's some straight reporting on the executive branch trying to implement it in roundabout ways, plus efforts on this bill: https://www.cnn.com/2023/05/16/politics/irs-free-tax-filing-...

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