WASHINGTON, D.C. – Recently, U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) and 40 of his colleagues introduced legislation to prevent the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from being used as a political weapon against American citizens.
“The IRS should never be used as a political weapon based on political or religious affiliation,” said Senator Tillis. “While the Biden Administration works to expand the IRS to go after hardworking Americans, I am proud to work with many of my colleagues on this commonsense legislation to protect our First Amendment rights.”
BACKGROUND:
From 2010 to 2012, the Obama IRS spent over two years systematically targeting conservative tax-exempt groups. The Trump administration released a final rule in May 2020 that prevented the IRS from targeting certain tax-exempt groups based on their political beliefs.
House Democrats’ H.R. 1 – the “For the People Act” – and Senate companion legislation S. 1 seek to repeal and undermine the Trump rule to weaponize the IRS to target nonprofit organizations based on the applicants’ political and policy positions.
The Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act codifies the Trump rule that protects groups regardless of their political ideology or beliefs and prevents the IRS from doxing donors to these groups.
Removing the requirement to report the names and addresses of donors helps protect taxpayers’ First Amendment rights: such information is not needed for tax administration purposes.
The text of the Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act can be accessed here.
“The IRS should never be used as a political weapon based on political or religious affiliation,” said Senator Tillis. “While the Biden Administration works to expand the IRS to go after hardworking Americans, I am proud to work with many of my colleagues on this commonsense legislation to protect our First Amendment rights.”
BACKGROUND:
From 2010 to 2012, the Obama IRS spent over two years systematically targeting conservative tax-exempt groups. The Trump administration released a final rule in May 2020 that prevented the IRS from targeting certain tax-exempt groups based on their political beliefs.
House Democrats’ H.R. 1 – the “For the People Act” – and Senate companion legislation S. 1 seek to repeal and undermine the Trump rule to weaponize the IRS to target nonprofit organizations based on the applicants’ political and policy positions.
The Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act codifies the Trump rule that protects groups regardless of their political ideology or beliefs and prevents the IRS from doxing donors to these groups.
Removing the requirement to report the names and addresses of donors helps protect taxpayers’ First Amendment rights: such information is not needed for tax administration purposes.
The text of the Don’t Weaponize the IRS Act can be accessed here.
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