In the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, Congress boosted the Internal Revenue Service’s funding by nearly $80 billion over a ten-year span with the goal of spurring transformative changes at the agency. But since then, Congress has cut the IRA funding by more than half and froze the IRS’s regular annual appropriations at 2022 levels.

In addition to the funding cuts, the IRS faces other challenges. Since February, about 11,000 employees—11 percent of the IRS’s workforce—have been laid off or accepted a buyout. More layoffs could follow. And despite claims that technological advancements—such as greater reliance on artificial intelligence—will fill the void left by the laid-off workers, the IRS has paused its modernization initiatives. 

This event, which is part of the Donald C. Lubick Symposium Series, will feature two expert panels discussing the ramifications of the rollbacks in IRS funding and staffing for tax administration and the tax code.

Opening Remarks

• Tracy Gordon, Vice President for Tax Policy, Codirector and Acting Robert C. Pozen Director, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
• Janet Holtzblatt, Senior Fellow, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center 

Panel 1: The Impact on Taxpayer Services, Enforcement, and Modernization

• Daniel Ho, William Benjamin Scott and Luna M. Scott Professor of Law, Professor of Political Science, and Professor of Computer Science (by courtesy), Stanford University; Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence and Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research; Director of Stanford RegLab
• Barry Johnson, Nonresident Fellow, Urban-Brooking Tax Policy Center, former Chief Data and Analysis Officer, Internal Revenue Service
• Nina Olson, Executive Director, Center for Taxpayer Rights; former National Taxpayer Advocate, Internal Revenue Service
• Pete Sepp, President, National Taxpayers Union
• Janet Holtzblatt, Senior Fellow, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (moderator)

Panel 2: The Impact on the Tax System

• Kimberly Clausing, Eric M. Zolt Chair in Tax Law and Policy, University of California, Los Angeles School of Law; Former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis, US Department of the Treasury; Nonresident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics
• Phil West, Senior Counsel, Steptoe
• Howard Gleckman, Senior Fellow, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (moderator) 

THE DONALD C. LUBICK SYMPOSIUM SERIES

The Tax Policy Center established the Donald C. Lubick Symposium Series in 2016 to honor Lubick’s extraordinary record in promoting better tax policy founded on the principles of efficiency, equity, and simplicity. The annual symposium, held around Tax Day, engages high-level policymakers, advocates, researchers, and the media in discussions about the most pressing issues in tax policy and tax administration.

We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. Please email [email protected] if you require any accommodations or have any questions about this event. 

Support for this event was provided by an anonymous individual donor. For more on Urban’s funding policies, please visit urban.org/about/organizational-principles.