{"podcast":{"title":"Federal Tax Updates","slug":"federal-tax-updates-5954475","podcast_index_feed_id":5954475,"rss_url":"https://feeds.transistor.fm/federal-tax-updates","website_url":"https://federaltaxupdates.com","image_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/eP2n1-i2q4OclX-m7SCZURGTtGLTi_AI9Pc1KWL7eiE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:1400/h:1400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/LzM2NDUzLzE2NzMw/Mjg5NzItYXJ0d29y/ay5qcGc.jpg","author":"Roger Harris, EA and Annie Schwab, CPA","episode_count":92,"summary":"CPAs, Enrolled Agents, and Tax Preparers can keep up-to-date with the latest federal tax information while earning NASBA approved CPE credits and IRS approved CE credits by listening to the bi-weekly Federal Tax Updates podcast. The hosts Roger Harris and Annie Schwab have over 75 years of tax experience between them, which has been featured in various media outlets including Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Morning Business Report, Bloomberg Business News, and Accounting Today.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-15T04:20:40.895553+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-tax-updates-5954475"},"episode":{"title":"Getting the Band Back Together: Former Commissioner Werfel on IRS Challenges Ahead","slug":"getting-the-band-back-together-former-commissioner-werfel-on-irs-challenges-ahead","published_at":"2025-12-01T15:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-tax-updates-5954475/getting-the-band-back-together-former-commissioner-werfel-on-irs-challenges-ahead","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-tax-updates-5954475","url":"https://share.transistor.fm/s/dc9002a1","audio_url":"https://op3.dev/e/media.transistor.fm/dc9002a1/5f4129ea.mp3","summary":"Former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel and longtime agency communications chief Terry Lemons join Roger and Annie for a candid Thanksgiving conversation about the mounting challenges facing the agency heading into the 2026 filing season. The discussion covers budget cuts, staffing reductions, the lingering ERC backlog, and why a hollowed-out compliance function puts both taxpayers and tax professionals at greater risk. Sponsors Padgett - Contact Padgett or Email Jeff Phillips Get NASBA Approved CPE or IRS Approved CE Launch the course on EarmarkCPE to get free CPE/CE for listening to this episode. Chapters (00:00) - Welcome to Federal Tax Updates (01:07) - Introducing Special Guests: Terry Lemons and Danny Werfel (02:18) - Danny's Post-IRS Journey (07:48) - Terry Lemons' Post-IRS Activities (12:12) - Challenges Facing the IRS and Tax Professionals (19:37) - The Importance of IRS Compliance and Modernization (29:48) - Concerns About Workforce Sustainability (30:54) - Employee Retention Credit Issues (31:35) - Fraud and Government Response (34:28) - Impact of Government Shutdown on IRS Programs (35:51) - IRS Performance and Resource Allocation (39:50) - Challenges in Tax Compliance and Enforcement (45:15) - Preparing for the Upcoming Tax Season (50:17) - College Football Predictions (52:51) - Closing Remarks and Holiday Wishes Connect with Terry Lemons https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-lemons-77b3641a9 Connect with Danny Werfel https://www.linkedin.com/in/danny-werfel-89441594 Follow the Federal Tax Updates Podcast on Social Media twitter.com/FedTaxPod facebook.com/FedTaxPod linkedin.com/showcase/fedtaxpod Connect with the Hosts on LinkedIn Roger Harris - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rogerharrispbs/ Annie Schwab - https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-schwab-852418261/ Review L…","meta_description":"Former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel and longtime agency communications chief Terry Lemons join Roger and Annie for a candid Thanksgiving conversation abo…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":3255,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/federal-tax-updates-5954475/episodes/getting-the-band-back-together-former-commissioner-werfel-on-irs-challenges-ahead/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/federal-tax-updates-5954475/getting-the-band-back-together-former-commissioner-werfel-on-irs-challenges-ahead.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}