Internal Revenue Service Commission Danny Werfel told the Associated Press that the agency plans to take more action in going after the wealthy who short the government on their taxes. To do so, it plans to use artificial intelligence tools to unearth abuses of the tax system.
Werfel recognizes that the IRS gets criticism from all sides, but it doesn’t phase him. “We’re kind of like the NFL referee—when we get the call right or wrong, we get booed, and we’re OK with that,” he said.
However, cracking down on tax dodgers means more money coming in to fund the government, and he notes that the wealthy and large corporate filers and noticing that the agency is scrutinizing returns more. “I think that will inevitably result in more compliance,” he said.
Werfel also told the AP that the agency is working to improve the IRS’ service and ease of filing taxes, such as piloting a program that will allow people to file taxes directly to the IRS without using any private commercial software. The Direct File system is available for free online for people who have simple W-2s and claim a standard deduction on their federal income taxes.
