Summary of Congressional Hearing on Tax Policy and IRS Efficiency
Pillar Two and Tax Policy
- Concerns about Pillar Two: Losing revenue to foreign countries, which is the opposite of the intended effect of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
- Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Success: Encouraged companies to invest back in the U.S., reversing the trend of inversions seen during the Obama years.
- Companies are repatriating revenue and support back to the U.S.
Addressing Government Waste
- Billions of dollars in waste exist within the federal government.
- Efforts to address improper payments and improve verification before payments are crucial.
- These efforts are seen as sensible and bipartisan.
- IRS employees want to improve efficiency.
- Their on-the-job experience should be utilized more effectively.
- Opportunity to discuss specifics of the Ogden facility and how Utahns can participate in increasing efficiency at the IRS.
IRS Culture Change and Technological Improvements
- Aiming for a culture change at the IRS.
- Empowering employees to provide solutions.
- Cutting waste, such as the 3.5billion per year spent on a 35-year-old tech update which is 10 times more than a private sector bank would spend for equivalent payments.
- Hardworking people in Ogden are feeling empowered.
- Technological improvements are being made.
GDP Growth and National Debt
- Average annual real GDP growth rate since World War II: approximately 3.15%.
- Average GDP growth rate in the last ten years (including COVID): approximately 2.5%.
- The House Republican bill assumes a 2.6% growth rate, generating 2.6trillion over ten years.
- Spending cuts of approximately 1.6trillion. Other offsets are included.
- This growth rate is enough to offset tax cuts to the middle class.
- The bill is projected to reduce the deficit by 1.184trillion.
- The speaker believes a 2.6% growth rate is achievable, potentially exceeding it.
- AI spending may lead to productivity increases and accelerate GDP growth within 12-24 months.
- The speaker believes claims that the bill will add trillions to the national debt are mistaken.
- CBO scoring is used by both parties, but disagree with their projections.
- Revenues have not dipped since 2017.
Economic Growth Policies
- The speaker believes that a strong GDP is crucial for addressing the debt-to-GDP ratio.