Congress funds IRS to crack down on wealthy tax dodgers
S. 4298 — Stop CHEATERS Act · Filed by Angus King (I-ME) · 28 cosponsors · Introduced Apr 15, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill appropriates $33.3 billion to the IRS over fiscal years 2026–2031 to expand tax enforcement, modernize technology, and improve taxpayer services. The money is explicitly directed toward auditing high-income individuals and large corporations, with the IRS required to report annually on progress in shifting enforcement resources toward these groups and closing the tax gap.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is appropriating federal funds to increase IRS capacity for auditing high-income taxpayers and large corporations. It is a straightforward enforcement and infrastructure investment, not a tax policy change or carve-out.
What the text implies
- Increased IRS enforcement capacity may disproportionately affect pass-through entities and closely held businesses if audit selection algorithms are not carefully designed to distinguish between legitimate tax planning and evasion.
- The bill does not specify penalties, audit rates, or enforcement priorities beyond the stated focus on high-income individuals and corporations, leaving implementation details to IRS discretion and potentially subject to future political pressure.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Ordinary citizens benefit from stronger enforcement against high-income tax evasion and corporate tax avoidance, which shifts the tax burden away from middle-class filers and increases revenue for public services. The bill does not restrict citizen rights or remedies; it expands government capacity to collect taxes owed by those with the greatest ability to evade.