Senate Democrats raise concerns about IRS readiness for tax filing season
A view of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C., on April 11, 2025.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
As the new year approaches, Senate Democrats are expressing worries regarding the Internal Revenue Service’s capacity to manage the forthcoming tax filing season, in light of leadership changes and workforce adjustments during the initial year of the Trump administration.
In a correspondence to Treasury Secretary and acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent, acquired first by ABC News, a coalition of 17 senators, spearheaded by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren and Maine independent Angus King, who aligns with Democrats, stated that they possess "serious concerns" that the IRS is "not prepared" for the upcoming tax season, indicating that taxpayers "might encounter delays and challenges in filing returns and receiving refunds."
The Trump administration has carried out extensive layoffs and voluntary buyouts at the IRS, some of which have been retracted, and this year, the agency is also tasked with executing new modifications to the tax code following the enactment of the Republicans’ significant tax and domestic policy legislation.
Bessent has been serving as the acting IRS commissioner since August, after President Donald Trump dismissed Billy Long, a former GOP congressman, from the position two months post-confirmation by the Senate and nominated Long to become the U.S. ambassador to Iceland.
A view of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C., on April 11, 2025.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
Bessent has become the seventh individual to lead the agency in 2025, following Long and a series of other senior officials.
The legislation made the 2017 GOP tax cuts permanent while increasing funding for border security and the Defense Department, reducing some social safety net programs, and restricting taxes on tips and overtime for specific workers.
In a statement to ABC News, Warren accused the Trump administration of implementing changes that will favor affluent Americans and complicate matters for other citizens seeking assistance from the agency.
"Donald Trump's constant assaults on the IRS are beneficial for his billionaire allies and large tax preparation firms, but detrimental for Americans preparing for the filing season. Citizens depend on the IRS to file their taxes and receive their tax refunds swiftly and smoothly, and I’m demanding answers," she stated.
A view of the Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C., on April 11, 2025.Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
The Democrats also referenced a September report from the Treasury Department Inspector General for Tax Administration concerning the previous filing season.
While the auditor labeled the 2025 filing season as "successful" and noted that the agency processed a greater number of tax returns compared to the same period in the prior year, it also observed that the workforce reductions under the Trump administration "had no significant impact" on the 2025 filing season — but that they could "affect key processing programs and customer service in the future."
According to the inspector general’s office, the losses in staffing for customer service and anti-fraud teams could result in the agency processing fewer returns, assisting fewer taxpayers, and not preventing $360 million in fraudulent refunds from being issued.
The Treasury Department did not promptly respond to inquiries from ABC News regarding the inspector general’s report and the issues raised by the Democrats.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com