East Idaho Times

Washington, D.C.--U.S. Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) expressed strong criticism towards the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) during a hearing on the IRS fiscal year 2025 budget and the 2024 filing season. In his prepared remarks, Crapo highlighted various concerns regarding the agency's operations and allocation of resources.

Crapo emphasized the need for the IRS to be more accountable, efficient, and transparent in its decision-making processes. He pointed out that despite significant funding increases, the agency has not undergone the transformation promised, with several areas still falling short of expectations.

The senator raised specific issues such as the lack of detailed cost projections in the IRS' strategic operating plan and the inefficiencies in customer service and IT modernization efforts. Crapo questioned the effectiveness of spending billions of dollars on initiatives that do not yield substantial improvements for taxpayers.

One of the key focal points of Crapo's criticism was the Direct File program, which he described as an unnecessary and costly endeavor that duplicates existing free filing programs. He cited a Government Accountability Office report that highlighted failures in the program's planning and budgeting, underscoring the need for greater oversight of IRS spending.

In conclusion, Crapo called for Commissioner Werfel to address the shortcomings and inefficiencies within the IRS, emphasizing that there is still much work to be done to truly transform the agency.