For the last 20 years, I have advised countless individuals and families on how to grow and build their wealth. I meet with people every day that work hard for their money and recognize the value of every dollar that they’ve earned. So, when I recently heard that there are proposals moving before Congress that would dramatically alter a huge facet of Americans’ annual financial situations, I knew I had to gain a better understanding of this for myself.

The current proposals that I refer to are plans that would considerably expand the scope and role of the IRS, so that it would gain a whole host of new responsibilities. Presently, the IRS’ main function as the chief tax collector for the United States is a role that we already know it struggles to fulfill. We hear it on the news, especially recently, as the current administration seeks to empower the agency to better enforce the way it collects taxes. This makes sense, as any agency should be given the proper tools to do its job more capably and efficiently.

However, this new proposal would also transform the IRS’ role to be both tax collector and tax preparer. While annual tax filing is a task all of us loathe, this plan might initially seem like a good idea. But after gaining a better understanding of the issue, I’ve come to realize that this proposal would bring us to the edge of bureaucratic catastrophe and it’s a bad deal for the American taxpayer.

As a financial planner, I have a fiduciary responsibility to speak up for my clients when I think a course of action may negatively impact their financial wellbeing. This proposal might very well do just that. For starters, the IRS acting as both the tax collector and tax filer presents an obvious conflict of interest. Would you trust a prosecutor to also serve as your defense attorney? When we file our taxes, we are advocating for ourselves, albeit in a small way, before the government to ensure that we are maximizing our returns and minimizing any overpayments. But if the IRS takes over the entire process, are we to actually believe they are going to look out for our best interests and not their own?

The IRS is an agency that is already burdened with difficult responsibilities. Any expansion of its mandate would require a substantial increase in funding and work force – both things that are highly unlikely considering higher funding priorities before Congress. My concern lies in the fact that this proposal would further kneecap the already struggling agency, and harm the American taxpayer. I just hope more Americans are able to see this proposal for what it is and the true harm it would do before it’s too late.