How Messy Will This Tax Season Get?
A Q&A with Lily Batchelder, assistant Treasury secretary for tax policy, on how outdated technology, staff shortages and the pandemic have crippled the IRS — and what Congress can do about it.
The government wants you to file electronically.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/Bloomberg via Getty Images
This is one of a series of interviews by Bloomberg Opinion columnists on how to solve the world’s most pressing policy challenges. It has been edited for length and clarity.
Alexis Leondis: You were recently confirmed as the assistant secretary for tax policy in the U.S. Treasury Department. You previously served on the staff of the Senate Finance committee and as a member of the National Economic Council under President Obama. The Treasury Department oversees the Internal Revenue Service, an agency that’s frequently the target of criticism from politicians and taxpayers alike. What does the IRS need most to ensure it’s able to better meet its obligations?
Lily Batchelder, assistant secretary for tax policy, U.S. Treasury Department: The IRS is only going to be able to properly serve the American people when its significant resource needs are addressed. So as we enter the filing season, they’re facing enormous challenges related to the pandemic and two years of under-funding by Congress. And these pressures are going to make for a challenging filing season for taxpayers and for the IRS.