WASHINGTON — The IRS won’t get the appropriations boost for the ongoing fiscal year that Democrats had hoped for, adding emphasis to the party’s push to offer the agency $80 billion in extra funds through their stalled budget reconciliation package.
Sen. Chris Van Hollen, the Maryland Democrat who chairs the appropriations subcommittee overseeing the IRS budget, said the agency will get a “healthy increase” in the delayed fiscal 2022 spending package lawmakers are aiming to finalize by March 11. But he said it’s less than Democrats proposed in the fall and won’t be enough to fix the Internal Revenue Service’s long-term woes.
“We’re not going to be able to do what we want to do,” Van Hollen said. “We’re gonna prioritize funding for the IRS because they need the money badly to improve their systems, provide customer service. As you know, they have a backlog at the IRS when it comes to refunds.”
