On Tax Day, Grassley Questions IRS CEO on Modern Enforcement Tools, Highlights IRS Whistleblower Program

On Tax Day, Grassley Questions IRS CEO on Modern Enforcement Tools, Highlights IRS Whistleblower Program

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned Internal Revenue Service (IRS) CEO Frank Bisignano about the Trump administration's improved approach to collection and the importance of the IRS Whistleblower Program, which has brought in over $7 billion to the Treasury. The IRS is utilizing modern tools to improve case selection rather than increased audits.

On Tax Day, Grassley also delivered remarks praising Republicans' Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which is generating higher tax refunds for working Americans. The average tax cut is equivalent to $250 per month. Nearly half of filers claimed one of the new tax cuts: no tax on tips and overtime, auto loan interest or the senior deduction.

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On the need for modern tools, not an army of auditors:

I get the opinion by listening to people on the other side of the aisle that all you have to do is hire 100,000 more people at IRS, and you get a lot more money.

Under the previous administration, the IRS placed an emphasis on enforcement through increased audits. My understanding is the IRS is taking a more tactful approach under the Trump administration.

Rather than relying on an army of IRS auditors, there is a greater focus on using modern tools-and I'll let you discuss whatever modern tools is-to improve case selection. How is the IRS using technology to improve enforcement?

On the renewed importance of Grassley's IRS Whistleblower Program

Now, I want to bring up legislation I got passed a long time ago to see how IRS is working in that area. It's long been my view that the IRS needs to do a better job of targeting bad actors to avoid imposing costly audits on innocent taxpayers.

A program that I have a championed to do just that is the IRS Whistleblower Program, which incentivizes those with knowledge of high dollar tax evasion to alert the IRS. To date, this program has brought in over $7 billion to the Treasury and could raise billions more if used by the IRS to its full potential.

Going forward, can I expect the IRS to put more emphasis on the IRS Whistleblower Program to further focus IRS audit resources?

…

That's got to be my last question, but just let me say this in regard to this program: I get a feeling, after all these years that this has been on the books, even though it's brought in $7 billion, that there's people in the bowels of the IRS that don't like it. And I think we've got to overcome that bureaucratic opposition to people outside reporting that the IRS isn't doing their job.

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