Crystal Ball: What the Election Means for the Tax Community

Congress sets the terms for everyone who works in tax, and the November 3 mid-term election will reshape the committees that matter most: House Ways and Means, Senate Finance, and the appropriations committees that decide the IRS budget. The results will steer tax legislation for the two years leading up to the 2028 election.

This one-hour panel offers an early reading of those results. Five panelists with experience inside and outside government will examine the potential makeup of the key tax committees, the effect on legislation and IRS funding, and what the outcome means for professionals from return preparers to tax attorneys.

The panel will also look ahead to the lame-duck session. The Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act, a wide-ranging package with broad support in the tax community, could receive final consideration before the current Congress adjourns. The panelists will assess its chances along with other tax proposals that may reach the President’s desk in the closing weeks of 2026.