First Advisor
Grace Arnold
Date of Award
Fall 12-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Economics and University Honors
Department
Economics
Language
English
Subjects
IRA, Tax, IRS, Audit, Reform
Abstract
This thesis seeks to analyze and explore the ways in which the funding increase for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) present in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) has impacted the real life operations of the agency. These impacts will be examined across two broad categories: the ways in which the IRS has offered improved taxpayer services, and the ways in which the IRS has been better equipped to collect owed taxes and enforce tax compliance since the passage of the IRA. Existing data and literature indicates that the increased IRS funding has been correlated with some improvements across those two categories. Further analysis suggests that these improvements would get better over time, assuming the IRS is able to use their funding without interruption. The improvements have been fairly modest in some cases, which is somewhat understandable given the short amount of time the IRS has been given to implement reforms. Examining the link between IRS funding and their operations is crucial to achieving a better understanding of the benefits of allocating tax dollars towards certain causes. The ways in which federal funds are used is always a contentious issue; this thesis seeks to provide a comprehensive overview of a way in which funding has been allocated in the hopes it will allow policymakers to make spending decisions more optimally.
Recommended Citation
Hansen, Richard G., "Money at Work: How the Inflation Reduction Act Reshaped the IRS" (2025). University Honors Theses. Paper 1720.