Rep. Roy to Newsmax: IRS Targeting Middle-Income Americans

Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, said the allocation of $80 billion to the IRS will be used to target low- and middle-income Americans.

In an interview with Newsmax Wednesday, Roy said, “Well, we got the shaft; that’s what happened.”

“Now you got the inspector general — and I’m glad they did it — demonstrating very clearly that you’ve got 63% targeting the middle-income folks. Eighty percent are targeting people who make, you know, a million dollars or less,” he said on “The Record With Greta Van Susteren.”

The Wall Street Journal reported in an editorial Tuesday that as of last summer, 63% of new audits targeted taxpayers whose income was less than $200,000 and that 80% of all audited taxpayers earned less than $1 million.

Roy acknowledged the efforts of Republicans to mitigate the IRS expansion. “We took $20 billion out and used it for the funding for additional defense spending,” he said.

“What you don’t need are a bunch of auditors going after the hardworking American people; because the code is so complex, they can’t figure it out. That’s the truth. We now have it so complex that if you have 10 different tax preparers put together your taxes for the year, you’ll get 10 different answers. That’s no good,” he said.

He advocated simplifying the tax system, suggesting a lower, broader, flatter tax rate or even eliminating the IRS in favor of a sales tax as a possible solution to the taxpayers’ dilemma.

Regarding why Republicans haven’t addressed the tax system, Roy referenced previous campaign efforts, including the 2016 presidential campaign of Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, which focused on a simple, flat tax. Roy urged Republicans to fight against excessive spending and reiterated the need to eliminate the IRS, emphasizing the importance of fiscal responsibility.

“Republicans need to put their money where their mouth is and stand up and fight the stuff,” he added.

Roy criticized the recent omnibus spending bill, which included a windfall for the IRS, saying, “You’re going after the American … family. You’re trying to target them and squeeze blood out of a turnip, [while] you ring up $34.5 trillion of debt.” He called for ending irresponsible spending practices by Republicans and Democrats.

In January, the IRS released a plan for the $80 billion in agency funding, including enhancements for customer service, technology, and enforcement, CNBC reported.

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