WASHINGTON, Aug 19 (Reuters) - New U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hires over the next decade will mainly replace retiring Baby Boomers, answer taxpayer questions and program new computers, U.S. Treasury officials and tax experts said, responding to Republican claims that the IRS will recruit 87,000 new agents to harass Americans on their taxes.
The Republican attack ads and social media messages follow a decade of Republican-passed budget cuts in Congress for the IRS, leaving it with 16,000 fewer employees in 2021 than it had in 2010. The agency is responsible for collecting the bulk of nearly $5 trillion in annual U.S. revenues.
Days after President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act that includes $80 billion in new IRS funding over 10 years, Republicans including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have continued criticizing that funding on social media.
"I think it was basically a middle finger to the American public that this is what they think of you," DeSantis told a news conference on Wednesday. "All the problems we have to deal with and they think the way is to do 87,000 IRS agents."
The Republican attack ads and social media messages follow a decade of Republican-passed budget cuts in Congress for the IRS, leaving it with 16,000 fewer employees in 2021 than it had in 2010. The agency is responsible for collecting the bulk of nearly $5 trillion in annual U.S. revenues.
Days after President Joe Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act that includes $80 billion in new IRS funding over 10 years, Republicans including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have continued criticizing that funding on social media.
"I think it was basically a middle finger to the American public that this is what they think of you," DeSantis told a news conference on Wednesday. "All the problems we have to deal with and they think the way is to do 87,000 IRS agents."
The new IRS employees: An 'army' or harmless programmers?
New U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hires over the next decade will mainly replace retiring Baby Boomers, answer taxpayer questions and program new computers, U.S. Treasury officials and tax experts said, responding to Republican claims that the IRS will recruit 87,000 new agents to harass...
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