US Representative Jason Smith (R-MO) speaks during a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability hearing. (Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
OAN’s Brooke Mallory
1:51 PM – Thursday, July 27, 2023
This week, two House Republicans sent a letter to the Internal Revenue Service, questioning why the agency destroyed around 30 million taxpayer documents more than two years ago.
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Reps. Jason Smith (R-MO), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee, and David Schweikert (R-AZ), chairman of the Oversight Subcommittee, wrote to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, requesting papers that could prove the decision’s legality.
It’s been over 2 years since the IRS destroyed 30 million unprocessed tax records prepared by millions of American taxpayers. To date, the IRS refuses to hand over a memo detailing the decision to destroy returns.@RepJasonSmith & I are demanding answershttps://t.co/OXdyNYl4ui
— Rep. David Schweikert (@RepDavid) July 25, 2023
According to the Center Square outlet, the letter asked Werfel to comply with the paperwork request after the agency “willfully ignored” the committee’s initial inquiry last year.
This most recent letter comes more than a year after a study by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration revealed that the IRS would be destroying over 30 million “unprocessed, paper-filed information returns” in 2021.
Taxpayers may have needed those documents if their taxes were audited, which is plausible given the Biden administration’s recent push for increased audits.
“The decision to destroy information returns diligently prepared by millions of American taxpayers demands congressional oversight,” the letter said. “The destruction of these returns raises the question of whether information reporting should be scaled back to reduce the burden placed on taxpayers in reporting information the IRS does not even use.”
Smith and Schweikert also chastised the IRS during the Biden administration for failing to cooperate with the House oversight probe.
“The Biden administration’s refusal to respond to the Committee, engage in a substantive discussion with staff about the request, and ultimately deny access to the decision memorandum obstructs Congress’s ability to conduct our important oversight responsibilities,” the letter continued.
Werfel was given until August 8th to answer the written inquiry.
The IRS investigation comes at a shaky time when the federal tax agency is currently dealing with a number of concerns related to suspected politicization and its home visit policy, which was recently modified on Monday.
I urge any and every IRS employee: If you know of misconduct, please come to the Ways and Means Committee, so we can hold accountable those who are responsible. pic.twitter.com/HBSOy5sIHz
— Rep. Jason Smith (@RepJasonSmith) July 20, 2023
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