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Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), which contains sensitive taxpayer information, including Social Security numbers and bank records.

This move has raised significant privacy concerns among lawmakers and advocates.

The IDRS is a critical tool within the IRS, providing employees with instantaneous access to taxpayer accounts.

Access to this system is highly restricted to protect personal information. If DOGE's request is approved, it would grant them unprecedented access to millions of Americans' private financial data.

Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Elizabeth Warren have expressed strong opposition to DOGE's efforts. In a letter to acting IRS Commissioner Douglas O'Donnell, they demanded copies of any memos that would grant IRS system access to Musk or DOGE, Independent said.

White House Backs DOGE's IRS Push Amid Senators' Concerns Over Tax Delays

According to AP, the senators are also seeking justifications for DOGE's efforts to inspect tax returns and private bank records.

They emphasized, "We are also extremely concerned that DOGE personnel meddling with IRS systems in the middle of tax filing season could, inadvertently or otherwise, cause breakdowns that may delay the issuance of tax refunds indefinitely."

The White House, however, supports DOGE's initiative. Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, stated, "Waste, fraud, and abuse have been deeply entrenched in our broken system for far too long. It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it."

He further added, "DOGE will continue to shine a light on the fraud they uncover as the American people deserve to know what their government has been spending their hard-earned tax dollars on."

The timing of this request is particularly concerning, as the IRS is in the midst of the 2025 tax season, which began on January 27, with over 140 million tax returns expected by the April 15 deadline.

Additionally, the IRS plans to lay off thousands of probationary workers during this critical period, which could further complicate tax processing and refund issuance.

This development follows previous attempts by DOGE to access sensitive government data. A federal judge recently blocked DOGE's efforts to obtain records from the Treasury Department's payment system, citing concerns over the legality and potential misuse of such access.

Tags

Elon Musk, IRS