Government efficiency and the Department of Elon Musk have sparked a storm of commentary and speculation. Combined with that turmoil and the Trump administration’s plan to cut staffing in the IRS, we get some of the most hysterical responses to Trump/Doge reforms.
Only in government talks about generating panic and anger by increasing efficiency and productivity. In Washington, DC, progress is a threat, not a goal.
Instead of whining about Doge’s proposed cuts in staffing delivery, politicians and experts should require the IRS to do their actual work more efficiently. That requires systematic reform rather than partisan noise.
Multiple reports say the Trump administration plans to cut Approximately 18,000 IRS jobs By mid-May – a 20% reduction expected to save taxpayers $1.4 billion in salary and benefits next year. Of these cuts, 6,800 come from probation employees who have already ended. Another 4,700 people retired early.
Critics didn’t wait for the outcome. They declared it “historical”, “unprecedented”, and a sign of destiny. The sun they warned warned him that he might never rise again.
But we’ve seen this before. The world wasn’t over. In fact, almost nothing has changed.
In 2011, the IRS reported 94,709 Full-time equivalent employees. By 2017 – five years under the Obama administration, that number fell by more than 23% to 72,803. The sun still rose. The sky did not fall.
Despite staff reductions, the key performance metrics of the IRS – Voluntary Compliance Rate – It barely bulged. For decades, VCR has served as a major benchmark for agents. It measures the percentage of taxes voluntarily paid on time compared to the amounts outstanding.
VCRs, commonly known as the “tax gap,” are attracting bipartisan attention. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle are closing the gap as a financial priority. More compliance means more cash can be spent.
However, through 20 years of staffing change and budget battles, VCR has been extremely stable – Approximately 84% hoveringgive or take it.
Yes, adding an IRS agent could improve margin compliance. However, staffing alone does not guarantee better results. What matters is how agents set priorities and manage their workforce to provide real benefits to taxpayers.
In 2012, the government’s Accountability Office reviewed how the IRS could improve enforcement and reduce tax disparities. GAO’s conclusion: The problem was not the lack of staff. The IRS can increase revenue significantly by targeting executive resources better.
That’s exactly what Doge is about: smarter management, better systems, measurable results. The private sector achieves this through competitive pressure. In government, such efficiency is almost as rare as unicorns.
Like all other institutions Doge considered, the IRS drifted away from its core mission: revenue collection and tax law implementation. Instead of focusing on enforcement, agents expanded to Mission Creep.
Trump Plan to shut down IRS Civil Rights and Compliance Bureau – and justification. These bloated bureaucrats have become one of Washington’s most redundant features. The only thing more common than the Civil Rights Office is a federally funded employment training program.
And like rabbits, they just keep multiplying.
Then there is the Biden administration’s favorite: diversity, equity, inclusion. Trump is proposing correctly Dei office is closed The whole federal government. employment $200,000 a year The IRS’ Senior Diversity and Inclusion Specialists don’t fill in tax gaps, not long shots.
In the 21st century, the IRS still struggles with basic technology.
Just a few weeks ago, a Treasury inspector Report released About the IRS Direct File Pilot Program. The IRS has launched a program to help taxpayers submit returns between February and April 2024.
Despite it exists Free filing options From both the private sector and the IRS, direct files have moved forward as one of Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)’s latest policy “experiments.” The project cost taxpayers at least $33.4 million, much more than the original disclosure, according to the inspector.
The results were overwhelming. Of the 423,450 people who created direct file accounts (only 33%), only 140,803 successfully submitted returns. Many people who lost. The report noted that the Direct file does not even allow eligible filers to claim education tax credits. It’s not a small surveillance – it’s a costly failure and you need to go. Trump showed he would do that last week. End the program.
In just four years, Joe Biden added Over 20,000 full-time employees To the IRS. Have you ever noticed that the agency is working well? I didn’t think so.
Instead of whining about Doge’s proposed staffing delivery, politicians and experts should require the IRS to do real work – gather income and enforce the law – more efficiently. That requires systematic reform rather than partisan noise.
The Trump administration will get it. It’s when the rest of Washington catches up.
