IRS Chief ‘Laser-Focused’ on Stamping Out ‘Racism’ in Tax Audits

There is 'substantial uncertainty' on the alleged bias

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) commissioner nominee Daniel Werfel testifies before the Senate Finance Committee during his nomination hearing in Washington, on Feb. 15, 2023. Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is “laser-focused” on ensuring tax laws are enforced in a fair and impartial manner after reports emerged that the federal agency inadvertently audits black taxpayers at significantly higher rates than other Americans.

In a May 15 letter (pdf) to Senate Finance Committee chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), IRS commissioner Daniel Werfel noted a recent joint study by researchers at Stanford University, the University of Michigan, the University of Chicago, and the Treasury Department which found that black taxpayers are audited at three to five times the rate of non-black taxpayers.