US President-elect Donald Trump on Tuesday announced plans to establish the External Revenue Service (ERS), a new federal body tasked with collecting tariffs, duties, and other revenues derived from foreign sources.
Trump criticized the current heavy reliance on domestic taxes through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and highlighted the need for foreign entities benefitting from US trade to “contribute their fair share.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated:
“For far too long, we have relied on taxing our Great People using the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Through soft and pathetically weak trade agreements, the American economy has delivered growth and prosperity to the world while taxing ourselves.”
He added that January 20, 2025, the day of his second inauguration, would also mark the official establishment of the External Revenue Service.
“It is time for that to change. I am announcing today that I will create the External Revenue Service to collect our tariffs, duties, and all revenue that comes from foreign sources. We will begin charging those that make money off of us with trade, and they will start paying, finally, their fair share. January 20, 2025, will be the birth date of the External Revenue Service. Make America great again!”
The existing Internal Revenue Service (IRS), led by the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, is responsible for administering and enforcing internal revenue laws under the Treasury Secretary’s direction, as per IRC Section 7801.
Donald Trump will officially be sworn in for his second term as President on January 20, 2025.
Earlier, the US Congress certified Trump’s victory in the November 2024 presidential election over Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump secured 312 electoral votes, compared to Harris’s 226 votes, with no objections during the official tally on the House floor.