search
Sections List
American Journal News

GOP congressman falsely claims Biden plans to target the poor with new tax plan

Rep. Mike Bost’s tweet about tax audits of the poor was based on evidence-free claims.

By Josh Israel - October 18, 2021
Share
Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL)

Rep. Mike Bost (R-IL) baselessly claimed Monday that President Joe Biden’s proposed crackdown on rich tax cheats would mostly result in audits of poor people. But the entire point of Biden’s proposal is to allow the Internal Revenue Service to better target rich evaders with audits.

“According to the Federalist, the IRS is 3 TIMES more likely to audit folks making under $25k than someone in the top 1% under Biden & Pelosi’s plan,” Bost tweeted. “I cosponsored the Protecting Financial Privacy Act to prohibit the IRS from imposing mandates like this.”

Part of Biden’s Build Back Better plan — which would invest $3.5 trillion in child care, health care, paid leave, free community college and pre-school, clean energy, and climate change infrastructure — would be funded by hiring more IRS agents and expanding the amount of information reported by banks. Experts say this could bring in more than $100 billion over a decade in funds owed but not paid to the IRS.

Republicans have unanimously opposed the package and have particularly objected to a provision that would mandate the collection of annual transaction totals for bank accounts with more than $600 in them, a move the administration says will allow it to better track wealthy people who are gaming the system and underreporting their income.

There is no evidence that enactment of this proposal would disproportionately hurt low-income families.

Bost’s tweet cites a report published Oct. 17 on the right-wing site The Federalist. That story’s author, who is described as an intern at the publication, does make the claim, “Under a new Biden administration proposal, the Internal Revenue Service is three times more likely to audit a citizen making less than $25,000 rather than someone in the top 1 percent of wealth.”

But the intern’s only source is a tweet and a YouTube video in which conservative commentator Saagar Enjeti makes the unsourced claim that the IRS is currently “3X more likely to audit someone making less than 25,000 than someone in the top 1%.”

Enjeti asserts, without any evidence, that “the 600 dollar proposal would only give them even more ammunition to go after working-class Americans.”

A series of investigations by ProPublica in 2018 and 2019 found that due to cuts to IRS enforcement budgets and staff, fewer rich Americans were getting audited and the percentage of audits was about equal for the top 1% and those making $20,000 or less.

The agency admitted in 2019 that, with slashed funding, it was easier and cheaper to audit people claiming the earned income tax credit than it was to audit the wealthy who filed more complicated returns.

The Biden administration says that increased IRS enforcement actions would target wealthy taxpayers and result in fewer audits for people in lower- or middle-income brackets.

Seth Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a federal tax policy expert, told The American Independent Foundation in May, “The whole point is it will let the IRS target audits in a smarter way, so honest people are gonna be less likely to be audited. People earning under $400,000 — as long as they’re tax compliant — are gonna be less likely to be audited. The audit rate for those earning under $400,000 won’t go up.”

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.


AJ News
Subscribe to our newsletter.
Read More
AJ News
Latest
Senate Democrats introduce bill to block ICE agents from wearing masks

Senate Democrats introduce bill to block ICE agents from wearing masks

By Jesse Valentine - July 09, 2025
Stark contrast between Spanberger, Earle-Sears when it comes to Virginians’ reproductive freedom

Stark contrast between Spanberger, Earle-Sears when it comes to Virginians’ reproductive freedom

By Bonnie Fuller - July 09, 2025
Earle-Sears takes $40K from DeVos family

Earle-Sears takes $40K from DeVos family

By Jesse Valentine - July 08, 2025
Thom Tillis turns on Trump, warns GOP bill “will hurt people”

Thom Tillis turns on Trump, warns GOP bill “will hurt people”

By Jesse Valentine - July 01, 2025
Obamacare opponent Scott Brown is attempting a comeback in New Hampshire

Obamacare opponent Scott Brown is attempting a comeback in New Hampshire

By Jesse Valentine - June 27, 2025
New red tape could keep people from getting Obamacare

New red tape could keep people from getting Obamacare

By Jesse Valentine - June 25, 2025
Disaster relief at stake as Trump moves to abolish FEMA

Disaster relief at stake as Trump moves to abolish FEMA

By Jesse Valentine - June 18, 2025
Trump order lets VA doctors deny care based on politics, marital status

Trump order lets VA doctors deny care based on politics, marital status

By Jesse Valentine - June 17, 2025
New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s stock trades continue to draw scrutiny

New Jersey Rep. Tom Kean Jr.’s stock trades continue to draw scrutiny

By Jesse Valentine - June 13, 2025
Kennedy fires vaccine safety panel, breaking promise to Senators

Kennedy fires vaccine safety panel, breaking promise to Senators

By Jesse Valentine - June 10, 2025
“An Abortion Saved My Life After I Got Leukemia”

“An Abortion Saved My Life After I Got Leukemia”

By Bonnie Fuller - June 10, 2025
Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans defends GOP tax bill with distortions and half-truths

Virginia Rep. Jen Kiggans defends GOP tax bill with distortions and half-truths

By Jesse Valentine - June 06, 2025
Republican bill makes it easier for Trump to fire federal workers

Republican bill makes it easier for Trump to fire federal workers

By Jesse Valentine - June 04, 2025
Will a new abortion bill save the lives of pregnant women in Texas?

Will a new abortion bill save the lives of pregnant women in Texas?

By Bonnie Fuller - June 03, 2025
How many will lose health insurance under the Republican bill? The CBO says 13.7 million.

How many will lose health insurance under the Republican bill? The CBO says 13.7 million.

By Jesse Valentine - May 23, 2025
Rep. Bresnahan sold shares in PA companies ahead of market drop

Rep. Bresnahan sold shares in PA companies ahead of market drop

By Jesse Valentine - May 21, 2025
Senate Republicans confirm convicted felon as U.S. ambassador

Senate Republicans confirm convicted felon as U.S. ambassador

By Jesse Valentine - May 20, 2025
Texas women face prosecution for abortions if new bill becomes law

Texas women face prosecution for abortions if new bill becomes law

By Bonnie Fuller - May 16, 2025
It’s not just Medicaid—House Republicans want to cut food stamps too

It’s not just Medicaid—House Republicans want to cut food stamps too

By Jesse Valentine - May 15, 2025
Disability advocates arrested protesting GOP Medicaid cuts

Disability advocates arrested protesting GOP Medicaid cuts

By Jesse Valentine - May 14, 2025
Republican Bill Huizenga cheers power plant funds he tried to block

Republican Bill Huizenga cheers power plant funds he tried to block

By Jesse Valentine - May 12, 2025
Jack Ciattarelli called harmful tariffs a “grand experiment”

Jack Ciattarelli called harmful tariffs a “grand experiment”

By Jesse Valentine - May 09, 2025
Paul LePage, a Medicaid critic, launches congressional bid in Maine

Paul LePage, a Medicaid critic, launches congressional bid in Maine

By Jesse Valentine - May 06, 2025
Earle-Sears ignored trans issues in office—now she uses them as a wedge

Earle-Sears ignored trans issues in office—now she uses them as a wedge

By Jesse Valentine - May 05, 2025
Trump effectively shuts down campaign finance watchdog

Trump effectively shuts down campaign finance watchdog

By Jesse Valentine - April 30, 2025
Ciattarelli wants a DOGE-style commission to crack down on New Jersey Medicaid recipients

Ciattarelli wants a DOGE-style commission to crack down on New Jersey Medicaid recipients

By Jesse Valentine - April 30, 2025