Former Internal Revenue Service commissioner Danny Werfel joins ITR editor Tom Baker for a wide-ranging episode of Taxing Times covering his tenure at the helm of the US tax authority and some of the biggest questions facing tax administrations today.
Werfel led the IRS twice, including serving as its 50th commissioner from 2023 to 2025. It makes Werfel one of the most high-profile guests to appear on Taxing Times, and the conversation contains plenty of must-listen moments.
As well as reflecting candidly on his experience running the IRS and the challenges of leading a major tax authority, Werfel offers his take on the state of the agency today, following drastic workforce reductions.
The discussion then turns to the rapid development of AI and the risks it could create for tax systems.
Among the scenarios explored is a future in which AI agents are deployed on both sides of a tax audit, raising questions about independence, controls and how tax authorities and businesses should manage increasingly autonomous technology.
The discussion also ranges across tax administration, public-sector leadership and international cooperation, including the circumstances that might create new opportunities for consensus at the OECD.
We hope you enjoy listening.
