New Mexico congressman in favor of IRS overhaul

Congressman and New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Steve Pearce says he’s in favor of overhauling the Internal Revenue Service.

Pearce said Thursday the federal tax-collecting agency is operating under antiquated technologies and processes and that’s why he was among those in the U.S. House to support legislation aimed at modernizing the agency.

The New Mexico Republican pointed to several bills passed this week, including measures to improve cybersecurity and protect taxpayer identities.

One of the other measures calls for amending the tax code to restrict the immediate sale of seized property by the U.S. Treasury to perishable goods, which would affect the practice of civil asset forfeiture.

Another bill would require tax-exempt organizations to file annual returns electronically, and that information would be made available for public inspection.