The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) led by Elon Musk is seeking access to large amounts of confidential taxpayer data from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Two Democratic senators, Ron Wyden of Oregon and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have sent a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Douglas O'Donnell expressing concern over DOGE's attempts to inspect tax returns and private banking records.
In the letter, the senators expressed their worry that DOGE staff accessing IRS systems during tax filing season could cause disruptions that delay tax refunds. They warned of the potentially devastating financial consequences for millions of Americans who rely on these refunds in the spring.
DOGE's access to taxpayer data also raises legal concerns, with fears of potential privacy violations and misuse of confidential information. If this access is granted, Musk and his team could obtain millions of sensitive files, including banking records and taxpayer data, through the IRS Integrated Data Retrieval System.
On another note, amid tax season, it was announced that the IRS plans to fire thousands of temporary employees. This situation becomes more critical with the possibility of DOGE gaining access to sensitive taxpayer information, which has raised alarms among privacy advocates and Democratic lawmakers.
Harrison Fields, spokesperson for the White House, has commented on the importance of addressing fraud and waste that has persisted in the system, assuring that measures will be taken to ensure the integrity of citizens' tax data. Meanwhile, various government actors and lawmakers continue to closely monitor the situation to prevent possible negative consequences arising from improper access to confidential information.
