Kelly Reyes, Executive Director of the Professional Managers Association (PMA)–formed in 1981 by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Managers as a national membership association representing the interests of professional managers, management officials and non-bargaining unit employees in the federal government and within the IRS–released the following statement decrying the proposal in the House of Representatives to fund aid to Israel with cuts to the IRS budget:
“House Republicans proposing to slash the IRS’s budget have once again proven they struggle with basic math. The latest proposal to offset emergency assistance to Israel with cuts to the IRS budget makes this all too clear. Simply put, cutting IRS enforcement funding will not yield any savings, in fact it will cost twice as much, according to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Similar analysis from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) likewise confirmed that cuts to IRS enforcement funding will result in bigger deficits,” Kelly Reyes said.
“The IRS is responsible for collecting over 95 percent of the federal government’s revenue–revenue used to fund nearly every national priority determined by Congress and the President. Earlier this month the IRS updated its estimate of the tax gap, finding that annually $668 billion in revenues due to the IRS under the law are not being collected. This is money left on the table because the IRS lacks the capacity to collect it,” Reyes continued.
“Providing the IRS with the resources to achieve its mission–to enforce the tax laws of this nation and to assist taxpayers in meeting their obligations–has for too long been a political game in Congress. These games must end because math does not lie. Dramatic spending cuts and increased taxes would be almost entirely unnecessary if Congress just funded the IRS to effectively enforce existing tax laws,” Reyes explained.
“PMA is proud of the work of our members and colleagues across the IRS to translate Inflation Reduction Act resources into tangible improvements in the taxpayer experience and agency operations. As the Service gears up for the 2024 tax filing season, it is critical that these resources remain in play, with appropriate oversight from Congress. Meanwhile, Congress must stop treating IRS funding as a piggy bank to pull money for other priorities,” Reyes concluded.
