Jorge Castro, former Counselor to the IRS Commissioner and former Congressional tax counsel, discussed the significance and future of the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) updated roadmap for spending Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds. "I think it goes without saying that this update and these initiatives clearly have a political element to it," Castro said. He added "The IRS's audience isn't only taxpayers and the public — it's also Congress." Castro explained the plan is likely to be used by lawmakers in the coming months as the IRS's budget is debated, but that it's too early to tell if the updated IRS plan will move the needle in their favor. "A lot of it's going to be determined by the elections in the fall," Castro noted. The updated plan also shows that the IRS is serious about many of the initiatives it has announced in recent months focused on complex partnerships, large corporations, and wealthy individuals, Castro acknowledged. "This document clearly signals that they are indeed doubling down in those efforts," he said. And it's not surprising that the report delves further into the agency's push to audit wealthy taxpayers, Castro noted, because "that's clearly an area they can focus on and see immediate victories."