Possible DOGE access to private taxpayer data sparks outcry
Democrats and tax experts are sounding alarms
Topic:
US News
by MPeriod
Posted 6 months ago
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# Concern Grows Over Elon Musk’s DOGE Team Seeking IRS Data Access
Democrats and tax experts are raising significant concerns regarding a proposal by Elon Musk’s DOGE team to access an IRS system containing sensitive financial details of millions of taxpayers, including their tax returns.
## Key Issues Raised:
- **Legality of Proposal**: Criticism from lawmakers labeling it as an “illegal and blatant power grab.”
- **Political Aims**: Suspicions that the access may be used to target American citizens for political purposes.
- **Confidentiality Concerns**: Risks associated with unauthorized disclosures of private taxpayer information.
## Alarming Reactions
Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif.), a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued a warning via X, emphasizing the severity of the request. Sens. Ron Wyden (Ore.) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) voiced their apprehensions about this potential agreement amid ongoing tax filings.
In a letter to IRS Acting Commissioner Douglas O'Donnell, the lawmakers expressed their belief that the proposal could lead to the “weaponization” of government databases for a political agenda.
## Details About the Proposal
A White House official confirmed that the Department of Government Efficiency is attempting to gain access to the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS) managed by the IRS. This system contains extensive data about taxpayers. The proposal involves a DOGE-affiliated individual collaborating with an IRS staff member for this effort.
The information stored in the IDRS is heavily protected, with unauthorized access classified as a felony. Previous incidents, such as the leak of tax information of Musk himself and former President Donald Trump, highlight the sensitivity of this data.
## Conditions of Access
According to reports, the anticipated agreement would mandate that the individual granted access keeps taxpayer information confidential and destroys any shared data subsequently.
Lily Batchelder, the Treasury Department’s Assistant Secretary for Tax Administration, remarked on X that she was unaware of any political appointees ever having access to the IDRS database, raising further questions about the motivations behind the request.
## Justifications and Criticisms
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields argued that current systems are plagued with waste, fraud, and abuse, stating, "It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it."
However, the IRS’s past handling of sensitive tax information has faced scrutiny, particularly after contractor Charles Littlejohn was convicted for leaking private information about Trump and other wealthy individuals. Littlejohn received a five-year prison sentence, but many voiced that he should have been penalized more severely.
Wyden and Warren also questioned whether the DOGE team member responsible for accessing the data meets the necessary legal qualifications, emphasizing a lack of clarity around the request's purpose.
## Ongoing Concerns Amid Tax Season
As the tax-filing season progresses, concerns continue to rise among tax professionals regarding the implications of the DOGE team's proposal. Mark Koziel of the American Institute of CPAs reinforced the need for a competent IRS, stating, “Americans deserve a fully functioning agency that can be respected by taxpayers and their preparers.”
In light of these developments, the call for transparency and safeguarding taxpayer information has never been more urgent.
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