The next IRS Commissioner must engage all members of the IRS workforce to be successful.
Washington, D.C. – Executive Director Chad Hooper of the Professional Managers Association (PMA) – formed in 1981 by Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Managers as a national membership association representing the interests of professional managers, management officials and non-bargaining unit employees in the federal government and within the IRS – released the following statement ahead of the Senate Finance Committee’s February 15, 2023 Hearing to Consider the Nomination of The Honorable Daniel I. Werfel to be Commissioner of Internal Revenue:
“The next Commissioner of Internal Revenue will see the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) through a transformative time. The American people are demanding better customer service and better tax processing from the IRS. Last year, Congress finally gave the IRS the opportunity to meet those demands through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The next five years will be critical for shaping the IRS’s future and managing the proper spending of the $80 billion Congress has committed to the IRS over the next ten years. The IRS has a long way to go, and strong, stable leadership will be critical for making the vision of the IRA a reality,” Hooper began.
“Ultimately, deciding who will serve as Commissioner of the IRS is the duty of the President and the U.S. Senate. We have the utmost confidence in our constitutional system to confirm the right candidate for the job,” Hooper continued. “That being said, there are certain attributes that we feel a commissioner must display to be successful in their role. Above all else, the next IRS Commissioner must be a partner to the workforce at all levels.”
“In order to effectively lead the IRS through the modernization and reform initiatives ahead, the IRS Commissioner must communicate with front-line employees, managers, and supervisors at all levels of the IRS. This transformation will not be successful if it only happens from the top or the bottom. Front-line managers encounter issues and develop innovative solutions every day. They are aware of what their teams need and what barriers to success exist. Rather than reinvent the wheel or propose reforms with no practical chance of proper implementation, the next Commissioner must understand the value of and commit to working closely with front-line IRS management associations, particularly those like PMA that have a consultative agreement with the Service centered on improving agency operations. PMA looks forward to partnering with the next Commissioner on cultivating the IRS’s success once confirmed,” Hooper concluded.
