John,

The wealthy and large corporations exploit tax loopholes and dodge taxes to avoid paying $1 trillion in taxes each year, according to Charles Rettig, the former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.¹ And it seems that Speaker Kevin McCarthy and members of the House of Representatives are just fine with that.

In their first order of business this session, House Republicans voted to rescind $72 billion of the $80 billion of investments the agency received as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. When their plan was DOA in the Senate, Speaker McCarthy demanded a two-year $20 billion cut in IRS funding in the debt ceiling agreement. And now, in addition, the House Appropriations Committee has put forward a plan that cuts more than $1 billion in IRS funding from the previous year’s budget.

These draconian cuts would only serve one purpose: to weaken the IRS and prevent them from hiring more agents who will go after wealthy and corporate tax cheats. Send a direct message to Congress demanding they invest in -- not cut -- IRS funding!

Cutting IRS funding by $1 billion -- or 9% -- from last year would undermine the IRS’ capacity to collect taxes already owed from those with high incomes, along with limiting the IRS’s ability to serve everyday taxpayers, who have faced egregiously long hold times for phone calls and a significantly longer time processing and paying out tax refunds.

We cannot continue to allow a small, wealthy minority to get out of paying their fair share in taxes when most of us pay taxes with every paycheck.

Call on Congress to increase funding to the IRS so they can crack down on wealthy and corporate tax cheats.

Thank you for all you do for a more equitable economy,

Deborah Weinstein
Executive Director, Coalition on Human Needs

¹Tax cheats cost the U.S. $1 trillion per year, I.R.S. chief says.