The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has requested access to the IRS's taxpayer data system, potentially giving it access to highly sensitive information, including Social Security numbers and tax returns, CNN reports. The SAT also launched a dedicated account on X to oversee the IRS and solicit "insights on identifying and solving waste, fraud and abuse issues" within the agency.
The New York Times previously reported that DOGE was seeking and likely to gain access to systems including the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), which contains a large amount of taxpayers' personally identifiable information, including bank account numbers, Social Security numbers, addresses, tax returns, and more. The IRS has strict restrictions on access to the IDRS system, and improper access can result in fines and jail time.
White House deputy press secretary Harrison Fields said in a statement to multiple media outlets: "Waste, fraud and abuse have long been ingrained in our broken system. It takes direct access to the system to identify and solve these problems."
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) sent a letter to the IRS commissioner on Monday asking the IRS to "immediately disclose to the Senate Finance Committee the full potential of allowing DOGE team members to access IRS systems and data so that the committee can address any actions by DOGE personnel accessing IRS taxpayer records that could constitute criminal violations of federal privacy laws."
The New York Times also reported that the IRS plans to lay off thousands of workers during its busiest time of year. This year, Tax Day in the United States is April 15th.