Trump IRS pick aggressively pushed tax credit that became 'magnet for fraud': NYT

Revelations that President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Internal Revenue Service aggressively promoted an often misused pandemic-era tax credit, which is raising new questions about his motives for the position. Senate Democrats preparing to grill former U.S. Rep. Billy Long of Missouri – who Trump named as his nominee to serve as the commissioner of the IRS – have already requested information from Lifetime Advisors, the lawsuit-plagued consulting firm he hopped on board with after leaving Congress in 2023, the New York Times reported. That’s because Long has pushed the Employee Retention Tax Credit – a COVID-19-inspired tax credit signed by Trump – that had been riddled with fraud before the IRS temporarily stopped accepting applications “and warned that many claims appeared improper.” As one of Lifetime’s network of salespeople, Long, a former auctioneer and ardent poker player, pitched the credit to businesses and nonprofits in his former Missouri congressional district, even regularly wearing a hat that said, “Ask me about E.R.T.C.” – the initials for the credit – as he actively sought clients to take advantage of the government aid. Long’s time promoting the tax credit has raised questions among Democrats and tax experts about how aggressively he would seek to slow the flood of claims if he is confirmed,” the Times reported.