IRS May Need to Hire 16,500 Additional Employees for Health Care Enforcement?
March 24th, 2010Via: Wall Street Journal:
House Republicans said Thursday that the health care overhaul will expand IRS authority by giving agents the power to verify acceptable health care coverage and fine or confiscate the tax refunds of Americans without coverage.
Republican members of the House Ways and Means Committee, a panel that oversees taxes and health issues, also charged that IRS audits will likely increase if health care legislation is passed. They added the IRS will require up to $10 billion to administer the new program. They also claimed the IRS may need to hire 16,500 additional employees.
“This dangerously expands IRS authority,” said Representative David Camp, (R., Mich.), the ranking Republican on the Committee on Ways and Means. “Most Americans will find it shocking and troubling.”
Rep. Charles Boustany (R., La.) led the investigation into the effect of the health care legislation on IRS authority. “This is a vast expanse of power that the American people need to know about,” he said.
Requests to Ways and Means Democrats for comment weren’t immediately returned.
