In a recent report, the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) has accused the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) of altering its algorithms to target white and Asian taxpayers for audits. The NLPC is a nonprofit organization that promotes ethics in public life and government transparency.
According to the NLPC, the IRS has been using a computer algorithm to identify taxpayers who are likely to be audited. The algorithm is designed to look for certain characteristics in taxpayers, such as income level, type of business, and other factors. However, the NLPC claims that the IRS has been altering the algorithm to target white and Asian taxpayers.
The NLPC alleges that the IRS has been using the algorithm to target white and Asian taxpayers for audits at a much higher rate than other racial groups. The NLPC also claims that the IRS is using the algorithm to target taxpayers who are likely to be successful in the audit, thus increasing the chances of collecting more taxes from them.
The NLPC is calling on the IRS to investigate these allegations and to make sure that its algorithms are not being used to target any particular group of taxpayers for audits. The NLPC is also asking the IRS to make its algorithms more transparent so that taxpayers can have a better understanding of how they are being selected for audits.
The IRS has not yet responded to the NLPC’s allegations. However, the IRS has previously stated that it does not discriminate against any group of taxpayers and that its audits are based on a variety of factors, including income level and type of business.
Regardless of the outcome of the NLPC’s allegations, this case highlights the need for more transparency in the way the IRS uses algorithms to target taxpayers for audits. Taxpayers should have a better understanding of how they are being selected for audits and should be able to trust that the IRS is not using its algorithms to unfairly target any particular group of taxpayers.
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