The nomination comes at a critical time for the IRS. Congressional Democrats this year approved an $80 billion increase in the agency’s budget aimed at boosting federal revenue by fighting tax evasion. Congressional Republicans have vowed to resist the changes and have devoted much of their 2022 midterm campaign message to attacking Biden’s plan to strengthen the IRS. The Republican-led House of Representatives could face a bitter battle with the tax agency.
If confirmed by the Senate, Werfel will also face the challenge of improving IRS customer service, which has struggled amid the pandemic after years of Republican-led budget cuts.
Control of the House and Senate next year remains unclear, with key race results in this week’s election still being tallied.
Current IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig will step down when his term expires on Saturday. He was nominated by President Donald Trump in 2018.
“It was a very good date. Werfel is a seasoned executive who understands the service and helped during a critical period in 2013,” said Mark Everson, who served as IRS commissioner during the Bush administration (Mark Everson) said he mentioned the storm of censorship by conservative groups. “He’s done a fantastic job coming into the agency in tough times, so he’s a perfect fit for the job.”
Spokespeople for the White House and the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Calls to the Boston Consulting Group were also unanswered.
The timing of Biden’s announcement is unclear. Congressional Democrats were outraged by Rettig’s refusal to turn over Trump’s tax returns, even as they praised Rettig for implementing coronavirus spending measures like stimulus checks and expanding the child tax credit.
Douglas O’Donnell, deputy commissioner and longtime IRS officer, will lead the agency on an interim basis starting Saturday.
Frank Clement, executive director of the left-leaning group American Tax Fairness, said the tax agency’s next leader faced the critical task of “vigorously going after tax fraudsters to ensure they pay their fair share.”
“The IRS commissioner is getting a huge amount of money to bring the agency into the modern age,” Clement said. “This is an extremely important position, especially given that the agency is backed by Republican goals.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.