“(IRS) cuts have seriously undermined the agency s ability to administer tax laws in a fair and effective manner,” a recent TRAC report wrote. “At the same time, Congress has handed the IRS new responsibilities, including coping with major changes to the tax law and sending out repeated rounds of stimulus payments to millions of taxpayers.”
Tax experts and watchdogs have warned the incentive to cheat – especially among high-earners and corporations - has grown as the audit rates have fallen. And they say it could cost the government up to a trillion dollars in annual revenue, which could otherwise fund government programs related to infrastructure, family assistance, or community services.