A top official from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has pulled back the curtain on deep-rooted issues at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), revealing that contractors and special interests are draining a staggering 80% of the agency’s $3.5 billion annual budget. Sam Corcos, now a special adviser to the U.S. Treasury Department, shared the findings with Fox News host Laura Ingraham on Thursday, likening the entrenched groups to “boa constrictors” wrapped around the IRS’s operations.
Speaking on The Ingraham Angle, Corcos detailed his mission to overhaul the IRS’s modernization efforts, a program he says is 30 years behind schedule and $15 billion over budget. “I really care a lot about this country, and this is a huge program,” he told Ingraham. “I’ve been brought in to look at the IRS’ modernization program, in particular, as well as the operations and maintenance budget.”
Corcos explained that Congress greenlit funding decades ago to update the IRS’s outdated computer systems, aiming to align them with modern tax and accounting practices used by major U.S. banks. While private companies adapted swiftly, the IRS has been stuck in a seemingly endless cycle. “We’re now 35 years into this program,” Corcos said. “If you ask them now, it’s five years away, and it’s been five years away since 1990. It was supposed to be delivered in 1996, and it’s still five years away.”
Joining Corcos on the program was Scott Bessent, recently confirmed as U.S. Treasury Secretary under President Donald Trump. Bessent expressed shock at the scale of inefficiency he’s encountered. “One of the biggest surprises for me is just seeing how these entrenched interests—they just keep constricting themselves around the power, around the money, around the systems, and nobody cares,” he said. He praised IRS employees but pointed the finger at outside consultants. “They’re like a python. They’ve constricted themselves around our government, and the costs are unbelievable. They’re being passed on to the American taxpayer,” as reported on Trending Politics.
The pair also pushed back against critics who claim DOGE’s efforts threaten Americans’ privacy or aim to gut federal agencies. Bessent dismissed such accusations, arguing that the IRS’s current dysfunction is the real problem. “The entrenched interests, the consultants, the Democrats, mainstream media—they just want to blow this project out of the water,” he said. “This is the opposite of government elimination. Sam and his crew are making it more efficient to work for the American people. So what’s wrong with it working better, cheaper, faster, and with more privacy?”
Bessent outlined his top priorities for the IRS: improving collections, safeguarding privacy, and enhancing customer service. “None of those are being well served,” he admitted, emphasizing a vision where taxpayers feel confident they’re paying their fair share—no more, no less—in a process that’s quick, smart, and secure. “We want people to feel satisfied that they are getting the service they deserve,” he added.
As tax season ramps up, Corcos and Bessent’s revelations underscore the challenges facing the IRS—and the ambitious push to finally bring it into the 21st century.
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