The anniversary comes as the Internal Revenue Service watchdog is awaiting confirmation of a new leader.
The Internal Revenue Service is a perpetual target. Some want to eliminate it. Others want to add to its operations. Both of these groups often rely on data provided by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, or TIGTA, in making their divergent arguments.
TIGTA was created as part of the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act or 1998 (RRA 98). The following year, TIGTA began carrying out its mandate to provide independent oversight of IRS activities.
Now, the IRS watchdog is commemorating a quarter century of audits, investigations, and inspections of the federal tax collector's actions and procedures.
25 years of keeping an eye on the IRS: “Providing effective oversight has helped the IRS recognize and overcome major challenges and delivered a significant return on investment to taxpayers,” said Acting Inspector General Heather M. Hill.
TIGTA accomplishments cited by Hill include —
- An average annual return of $102 for each dollar invested in TIGTA.
- Issuing more than 3,000 reports with monetary benefits totaling $383 billion.
- Referring nearly 32,000 cases of IRS employee misconduct for action and 5,400 cases for criminal prosecution.
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel also praised TIGTA’s role in the tax system.
“TIGTA helps ensure our agency is accountable for the work we do to fulfill our mission. But it’s also important to recognize the critical work TIGTA does to protect taxpayers and IRS employees through its investigations of internal and external threats, including identity theft scams, employee misconduct and threats against IRS employees,” said Werfel.
TIGTA is marking the anniversary with a social media campaign featuring accomplishments, historical perspectives, trivia, and other fun facts about its work overseeing the IRS. You can get the details at TIGTA’s LinkedIn and X (formerly known as Twitter) accounts.
TIGTA leaders: TIGTA was, and remains, within the Department of the Treasury, where the IRS also organizationally exists. But TIGTA functions independently of Treasury and IRS.
Since its creation, TIGTA has been led by two presidentially appointed Inspectors General.
David C. Williams became TIGTA’s Inspector General in May 1999 after serving as Inspector General at several other offices. He established the mission and vision of the organization, defended TIGTA’s independence and objectivity, and developed its reputation for timely, high-quality products.
Russell George was sworn in as TIGTA’s Inspector General in November 2004. Prior to assuming the role, George served as the Inspector General of the Corporation for National and Community Service. His focus was strengthening TIGTA’s oversight capabilities by creating an office of inspections and evaluations to conduct more timely oversight of emerging issues impacting IRS operations.
George served nearly two decades before his death in January 2024.
New TIGTA nominee: Now the Senate Finance Committee is vetting George’s replacement.
David Samuel Johnson was nominated this summer by President Joe Biden to fill the slot and oversee TIGTA’s 700-plus employees.
Johnson is a career member of the Senior Executive Service and the Assistant Inspector General for Investigations at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. In that Inspector General position, he oversees a law enforcement directorate responsible for conducting investigative oversight of the second-largest federal agency.
He previously served for more than a decade as a federal prosecutor, both as an Assistant Chief in the Fraud Section of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, as well as an Assistant United States Attorney and Health Care Fraud Coordinator at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Johnson also served as an Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel at the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
After receiving his B.A. in Government from the University of Virginia and J.D. from William & Mary Law School, Johnson began his legal career as an associate at an international law firm and a law clerk for the Honorable Rosemary M. Collyer on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia. He also was an adjunct law professor at Georgetown University Law Center.
You also might find these items of interest:
- Don't depend on internet searches to find IRS TAC info
- TIGTA cites online tax prep info sharing issues for filers & IRS
- TIGTA finds problems with private tax collection levels, payment plans and security
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