Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has raised concerns about Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) examining the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Wyden fears that Musk's team may have access to highly sensitive taxpayer data.
Wyden warned that DOGE could be responsible for delayed tax refunds. He also expressed concern that DOGE may be attempting to take over the Treasury Department.
Democrats have sounded alarms about DOGE's access to a Treasury Department payment system that manages Social Security benefits and federal tax returns.
On Thursday, Gavin Kliger, a top DOGE aide, visited the IRS offices in Washington, D.C. to examine the systems. It is unclear whether Kliger directly accessed any IRS systems.
IRS employees received an email stating that they should send any inquiries about high-profile visitors to the IRS to a specific inbox. The email also instructed senior IRS executives to identify all "non-essential" contracts to be eliminated.
President Donald Trump has said that the IRS will be examined by DOGE, but that the agency will not be eliminated. It is not clear what DOGE is explicitly targeting at the IRS.
Trump has previously floated the idea of ending federal income tax. He has also considered replacing income tax with tariffs.
6 Comments
Matzomaster
This is the first step towards a more efficient government that works for the American people, not against them.
Rotfront
This is a blatant attack on the middle class. Tax refunds provide much-needed financial assistance to millions of people, and Trump is trying to take that away.
Karamba
This is outrageous! How could Elon Musk be given access to such sensitive taxpayer data? This is a clear breach of privacy and could put countless people at risk.
Rotfront
Let's give DOGE and the Trump administration a chance to do their job. I believe this investigation could be beneficial to our country in the long run.
Karamba
Finally, someone is taking a close look at the IRS! This agency has been operating with little to no oversight for too long.
Leonardo
If this investigation leads to delayed tax refunds, then so be it! It's a small price to pay for ensuring that our tax system is fair and efficient.