House Ways & Means Chair Calls For IRS Overhaul

Signage is seen at the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in Washington, D.C.

House Ways & Means Committee Chair Jason Smith is advocating for a significant transformation of the Internal Revenue System, emphasizing the need to de-weaponize the agency and denouncing the status quo at the IRS as unacceptable.

In a letter addressed to IRS Acting Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell, Smith, a Republican from Missouri, highlighted the imperative for ongoing oversight to ensure the agency takes concrete steps to rebuild trust with the American populace following instances of what he termed as 'lawless and politically motivated behavior.'

Smith expressed concerns over the alleged weaponization of the IRS in the past two years, attributing it in part to the Democrats' decision to prioritize hiring a substantial number of new IRS agents for auditing working families over delivering essential customer services.

Concerns raised over alleged weaponization of IRS and prioritization of audits over services.

Jason Smith advocates for IRS transformation and denounces current status.

Issues highlighted include retaliation against whistleblowers and favoring audits over customer service.

The letter, exclusively obtained by sources, outlined various issues at the agency, including allegations of retaliation against IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler, who raised claims of corruption and preferential treatment for Hunter Biden.

Smith also pointed out the IRS's backing of $80 billion in mandatory funding that favored aggressive audits over customer service, as well as its purported failure to take decisive action against tax-exempt organizations linked to antisemitic activities and potential support for terrorism.

Emphasizing the need for stringent oversight of the IRS, Smith underscored that the recent election results underscored the public's demand for accountability and highlighted President Trump's commitment to addressing these issues.

Smith stressed the necessity for the government to work effectively for the American people and indicated that close monitoring would be in place to ensure the IRS's compliance with all relevant laws, executive orders, and directives.

Furthermore, Smith criticized the IRS for allegedly overstepping its authority by selectively applying laws, delaying certain regulations, and advancing partisan interests without proper authorization.

Concluding his remarks, Smith reiterated that the current state of affairs at the IRS was untenable and urged the acting commissioner to swiftly implement reforms to align with the expectations of the committee and the American public.