Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to extensive taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), according to two individuals familiar with the plan who spoke on condition of anonymity to the Associated Press.
If approved, DOGE would gain access to millions of taxpayer records, including financial data and bank records. Sources said DOGE specifically aims to use the IRS’ Integrated Data Retrieval System, a tool that provides IRS employees real-time access to taxpayer accounts.
Privacy advocates have raised alarms about the potential misuse of such data, warning that unauthorized access could result in violations of taxpayer privacy and targeted actions against individuals.
Harrison Fields, a White House spokesperson, defended the move in a statement, saying, “Waste, fraud, and abuse have been deeply entrenched in our broken system for too long. It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it.” Fields added that DOGE’s mission is to expose fraud and ensure taxpayers understand how their money is being spent.
Democratic lawmakers are pushing back against the initiative. Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) sent a letter to acting IRS Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell on Monday, demanding records justifying DOGE’s access request. The letter also raises concerns about potential disruptions to the tax filing process, which began on Jan. 27, and could see more than 140 million returns submitted before the April 15 deadline.
“Any delay in refunds could be financially devastating to millions of Americans who plan their budgets around timely refunds every spring,” the letter states.
The Washington Post first reported DOGE’s IRS data access request on Sunday. Meanwhile, sources say the IRS is planning workforce reductions that could take effect during tax season, further complicating the situation.
In a separate legal challenge, attorneys general from 14 states filed a lawsuit last week arguing that DOGE lacks the legal authority to access IRS data, citing constitutional provisions restricting such actions to Senate-confirmed officials.
On Musk’s social media platform X, a new account titled DOGE IRS has called on the public to report instances of fraud, waste, and abuse related to the IRS. The developments add to growing tensions over government data access and taxpayer privacy.
