The Daily

How the I.R.S. Became a Political Boogeyman

Apr 18, 2023

Alan Rappeport, an economic policy correspondent for The New York Times, dives into the IRS's ambitious $80 billion overhaul aimed at modernizing tax collection. He discusses the agency's historical mismanagement issues and the fears of repeating past mistakes. Rappeport highlights how the IRS has been wielded as a political tool, especially during past administrations, and addresses ongoing scrutiny regarding its audits of low-income taxpayers. The podcast also examines challenges in tackling sophisticated tax strategies of the wealthy amid a politically charged environment.

28:27

Creator website

Episode guests

Alan Rappeport

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Biden Administration's Decision to Change the IRS

01:49

The Next Big Moment in the Saga of the IRS

01:21

Intro

2min

Revitalizing the IRS: A $80 Billion Turnaround

5min

IRS: A Tool of Political Power

11min

The IRS Under Political Pressure

2min

The IRS and the Tea Party Controversy

6min

Navigating the IRS's Challenges in Tackling Wealthy Tax Schemes

3min

Escalating Violence and Calls for Peace in Sudan

2min

Earlier this month, the Internal Revenue Service unveiled an $80 billion plan to transform itself into a “digital first” tax collector focused on customer service and cracking down on wealthy tax evaders.

Today, on the day that taxes are due in the United States, Alan Rappeport, who covers economic policy for The Times, explains how the plan could result in the agency repeating a set of old mistakes.

Guest: Alan Rappeport, an economic policy correspondent for The New York Times.

Background reading:

I.R.S. unveiled their $80 billion plan to overhaul tax collection this month.
Here’s how tax season felt inside the I.R.S. last year, after decades of neglect.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday.

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