IRS Targets Wealthy and Major Corporations for Increased Audits, Aims to Correct Racial Disparities

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced a significant shift in its audit strategy, focusing on increasing audits for wealthy individuals and major corporations while simultaneously addressing racial disparities in its audit practices. This move comes as the IRS plans to expand its workforce and leverage new resources to crack down on tax evasion and ensure a more equitable tax compliance environment.

According to the IRS, audits will intensify for Americans earning $400,000 or more and for businesses with substantial assets, aiming to ensure that high earners and large corporations pay their fair share of taxes. This initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance tax compliance and revenue collection, with the IRS indicating that audit rates for individuals earning over $10 million will increase from 11% to 16.5% by 2026. Similarly, audit rates for businesses with assets over $250 million will triple, and partnerships with assets over $10 million will see a tenfold increase in audits.

In addition to targeting high-income earners and corporations, the IRS is taking steps to address the longstanding issue of racial disparities in its audit practices. Recent data revealed that Black taxpayers were audited at rates up to 4.7 times higher than non-Black taxpayers, a disparity attributed to the agency's data-driven algorithms. In response, IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel announced an overhaul of compliance practices to ensure a more equitable approach to tax audits.

The IRS's commitment to reducing the disproportionate audit rates for Black taxpayers represents a significant step towards fairness in tax administration. By revising its algorithms and compliance strategies, the agency aims to eliminate biases that have historically affected audit selection processes.

As the IRS embarks on this dual mission of increasing audits for the wealthy and corporations while correcting racial disparities, it signals a transformative period in tax enforcement. These measures are expected to not only enhance revenue collection but also restore public trust in the tax system by promoting fairness and equity.