The U.S. Senate last week voted 54-42 to confirm Danny Werfel as the next IRS Commissioner. Six Republicans joined 48 Democrats and independents to confirm Werfel. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., was the lone Democrat to vote against Werfel. Manchin noted that he does not have a problem with Werfel or his qualifications, but noted he was worried that Werfel would not have the autonomy to properly implement the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Werfel previously completed a confirmation hearing in front of the Senate Finance Committee, spending nearly three hours in front of the committee, mostly providing information about how the IRS would use the $80 billion in new funding provided under the IRA. Werfel’s answers were largely uncontroversial and generally restated existing Treasury positions, pledging to improve services and avoid increasing audit rates for households making under $400,000.
Werfel will have the opportunity to dramatically transform the IRS over the next several years but will face aggressive oversight from House Republicans already critical of IRS funding. Werfel also may face questions about the disclosure of wealthy Americans’ confidential tax information to the news outlet ProPublica.
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