Georgia Congressman Joins House Bill To Remove $80B In Additional IRS Funding

By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor, The Center Square Georgia

October 2, 2022

(The Center Square) — A Georgia congressman has joined on as a sponsor of legislation that would remove additional funding Congress allocated for the Internal Revenue Service.

U.S. Rep. Rick Allen, R-Georgia, is co-sponsoring the Defunding the IRS Army Act, which U.S. Rep. Jim Banks, R-Indiana, introduced. The measure would remove the additional $80 billion for the IRS included in the Inflation Reduction Act.

Critics say that with the additional money, "the IRS could hire 87,000 new agents," though some sources say "it will use the money partly to replace agents who leave the agency." They worry the additional agents would lead to more audits on taxpayers earning less than $75,000 annually.

"With inflation hovering near 40-year highs and American families struggling to make ends meet, the Biden administration’s insistence on deploying an army of tax auditors is not just tone-deaf — it’s callous," Allen said in a statement.

"Remember, these are the same folks who wanted to give the IRS access to your bank account last year," Allen added. "Instead of going after hardworking taxpayers, Congress should be working on policies that will jumpstart our economy and spur economic growth."

This legislation would use the money to codify the standard deduction increase passed under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which expires in 2025.

The focus of the work of The Center Square Georgia is state and local-level government and economic reporting that approaches stories with a taxpayer sensibility.