The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, is pursuing access to sensitive taxpayer information held by the IRS, as per two sources familiar with the plan who spoke to The Associated Press on Monday on the condition of anonymity. If successful, Musk and his team would gain entry to a vast amount of closely guarded data, including taxpayer details, financial records, and other private information. The individuals who disclosed this information to the AP expressed concerns that the Department is specifically targeting access to the IRS’ Integrated Data Retrieval System, which allows employees to view certain taxpayer accounts in real-time, according to the IRS website.
Advocates are worried that any potential unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer records could lead to the malicious targeting of individuals, invasion of privacy, and other adverse effects. Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, mentioned in a statement via email, “Waste, fraud, and abuse have plagued our broken system for too long. Direct access to the system is necessary to identify and rectify these issues.” He added, “DOGE will continue to expose any fraud they uncover as the American people have the right to know where their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent.”
Democratic lawmakers are pushing back against DOGE’s attempts to access IRS data. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to acting IRS Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell on Monday, requesting any documents that would authorize IRS system access for Musk or DOGE. The senators are also seeking explanations for DOGE’s efforts to inspect tax returns and private financial records. Expressing concerns about the legality of DOGE obtaining taxpayer data, the letter also warns of possible disruptions to tax refunds during the ongoing filing season.
The official start of the 2025 tax season was on Jan. 27, and the IRS anticipates over 140 million tax returns to be submitted by the April 15 deadline. Meanwhile, news broke on Sunday via The Washington Post regarding DOGE’s intentions to access taxpayer information. In a separate development, the IRS is reportedly planning to lay off probationary staff members in the midst of the tax season, according to sources familiar with the agency’s internal plans.
Moreover, attorneys general from 14 states have challenged DOGE’s authority to access sensitive government data stored at the Treasury and wield significant power without proper oversight in a lawsuit filed last Thursday. The lawsuit asserts that the actions undertaken by Musk through DOGE should only be carried out by an official nominated and confirmed by the Senate, citing constitutional provisions that define the roles of Congress and the president.
A new social media account named DOGE IRS on Musk’s platform X has posted a message seeking assistance from the public.
“The account requests users to communicate ‘with insights on identifying and addressing waste, fraud, and abuse in connection to the Internal Revenue Service.'”
