August 06,2019

Grassley Receives Response from IRS on Noncompliance Inquiry

WASHINGTON – Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) received a response from Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Charles P. Rettig regarding Grassley’s May 2, 2019 inquiry on a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s report that found the IRS was inconsistent in determining willful noncompliance by IRS staff members.

“It is important that the IRS, which is in charge of enforcing our nation’s tax laws, hold its employees to the same standard as every other taxpayer. If taxpayers lack faith in the ability of the IRS to police its own workforce, they will lose faith in the ability of the IRS to administer the tax code fairly to everyone else,” Grassley said. “This is why I commend the IRS for shoring up oversight of its workforce – including the removal of employees after final determinations of noncompliance, and the suspensions of others who were deemed to have been noncompliant but have since become tax compliant.”

Rettig’s letter directly addresses Grassley’s concerns and it appears that the IRS has taken decisive steps to correct the issues highlighted by Grassley. Additionally, Rettig confirmed the IRS reviewed all instances of unsubstantiated non-determinations of willingness.

Text of Grassley’s May 2, 2019 inquiry is available HERE. Text of Rettig’s response is available HERE.