House to vote on IRS bills next week

The House will mark the April 17 tax-filing deadline by voting next week on bipartisan bills aimed at modernizing the IRS, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced Friday.

The votes will follow approval of the bills by the House Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday.

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One of the bills the House will consider makes changes to the IRS aimed at improving its customer service and appeals process and boosts taxpayer rights during the enforcement process. A second bill focuses on improving the IRS’s cybersecurity and information technology.

The House will also vote on a bipartisan measure aimed at protecting children from identity theft.

The chamber is taking up the IRS revamp measures less than four months after Congress passed legislation overhauling the tax code. While the tax-cut bill was passed only with Republican votes, the IRS bills have the support of both Republicans and Democrats and were written following a series of hearings.

“I’m really pleased that Democrats and Republicans have found common ground here, and [am] looking forward to a very positive vote,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) said.

Republicans are touting the fact that this year is the last year that people will file their taxes under the old code.

“Because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, not only will [filings] be simpler, Americans will keep more of their hard-earned money, on top of the bonuses and increased wages we have already seen,” McCarthy said.

But House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) expressed concerns about the tax law’s impact on the debt.

“From my perspective, it will be the last year that we will not start creating extraordinarily more debt for our country, ” he said.