Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard E. Neal (D-MA), Oversight Subcommittee Ranking Member Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Worker and Family Support Subcommittee Ranking Member Danny K. Davis (D-IL), and Racial Equity Initiative Co-Chair Terri A. Sewell (D-AL) released the following statement on the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) work on addressing racial bias in audit rates after reporting that Black Americans are three to five times more likely to be audited by the IRS:

“Earlier this year, Ways and Means Democrats underscored the importance of closing racial disparities in IRS audit rates and ensuring that all American taxpayers receive fair treatment. Today, Commissioner Werfel publicly confirmed that audit rates are disproportionate. He has committed the IRS to addressing the biased methodology used in the audit program and implementing changes to fix this issue by the next tax filing season. Ways and Means Democrats will not rest in our quest to build a tax system that works fairly for all Americans and we will continue our rigorous oversight of the IRS to end these disparities.”