S. 4046

Simplify, Don't Amplify the IRS Act

This bill limits Internal Revenue Service (IRS) enforcement authority and modifies certain IRS reporting requirements. It also eliminates certain restrictions on the use of coronavirus recovery funds.

Among other provisions, the bill

• increases the gross receipts reporting threshold for certain religious and charitable organizations from $5,000 to $50,000;
• generally increases penalties for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information and for such disclosures by tax return preparers;
• requires the IRS to establish a fellowship program to recruit private sector tax experts to create a task force to. among other things, educate IRS employees on emerging issues, perform audits, and address offshore tax evasion; and
• sets forth provisions for reducing improper payments to taxpayers.

The bill also requires the IRS to report annually on the tax gap estimate for the most recent taxable year. The IRS must use artificial intelligence to calculate an estimate of the tax gap. The bill defines tax gap as the difference between tax liabilities owed to the United States and those liabilities actually collected.

The bill restricts funding for IRS audits and enforcement until the IRS publishes an updated tax gap projection.