John,
Donald Trump’s IRS nominee, Billy Long, was just grilled in the Senate, and for good reason. He’s a man with no tax policy experience, a record of pushing tax scams, and a history of trying to abolish the very agency he’s been nominated to run.[1]
Now, Americans for Tax Fairness is out with a new report, and it’s damning. Long didn’t just talk about dismantling the IRS, he tried to do it. While in Congress, he co-sponsored the Fair Tax Act to scrap our progressive tax system, pushing a plan that would make middle-class families pay more while giving billionaires a massive break.[2]
But that’s not all. Long’s post-Congress career reads like a case study in conflicts of interest. He promoted pandemic-era tax credits that were widely abused and tied to fraud. He falsely claimed “everybody qualifies” for one such credit, helping companies pursue millions in taxpayer dollars they weren’t eligible for, then quietly walked away when the truth caught up. Worse still, individuals connected to those scams donated to Long’s failed U.S. Senate campaign after he was nominated to run the IRS, and years after he lost his Senate race—allowing him to pay himself back $130,000 in campaign loans.
It’s clear that Long’s confirmation would be a green light for tax cheats and corporate scammers. He’d gut enforcement, kill the free Direct File tax filing program, and take us back to the era where millionaires and billionaires went unpunished for tax evasion and working-class people faced more audits.
Tell the Senate: We don’t need a commissioner who wants to kill the IRS. We need one who will make the rich pay what they owe. Demand the Senate reject Billy Long’s nomination today.
Under Commissioner Werfel, the IRS clawed back $1.3 billion from the wealthiest tax cheats, notified Microsoft it owed $29 billion in back taxes, and launched a free online tax filing system that saved everyday people millions of dollars in fees.
Billy Long threatens to unravel that progress. His track record makes clear: he’s not just unqualified, he’s a Trojan horse for Trump’s billionaire benefactors. He’d gut the IRS from within, letting the rich and powerful off the hook while sticking working families with the tab.
The Senate could vote on his nomination as soon as it returns next week. We’re building pressure right now, mobilizing thousands to speak out against this reckless nomination. But we can’t do it without you.
Send a clear message to the Senate: No fraudsters, no tax dodgers, no IRS Commissioner who wants to kill the agency.
The IRS should serve working families, not be handed over to someone who tried to eliminate it. Let’s shut this nomination down.
David Kass
Executive Director
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund
[1] Senators Grill IRS Nominee on Conflicts, Experience
[2] Backer Of Abolishing IRS Proposed To Lead Agency
