IRS Employees Caught Snooping Through Tax Records Of Public Figures, Watchdog Finds
Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,
An internal investigation has uncovered widespread failures at the Internal Revenue Service after dozens of employees were flagged for suspiciously accessing confidential taxpayer records, including those belonging to government officials, business leaders and entertainers.
A report released Tuesday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) identified 86 suspicious instances involving 52 IRS employees accessing the records of 30 taxpayers between 2022 and 2025.
The findings raise fresh concerns about taxpayer privacy, government accountability and the IRS's ability to safeguard Americans' sensitive financial information.
"The IRS's UNAX [unauthorized access] program is not adequately addressing the risk of unauthorized access to taxpayers' accounts," the watchdog concluded.
Investigators also identified 22 employees who were not terminated despite improperly accessing taxpayer information without authorization or consent.
The report revealed additional failures involving taxpayer notifications. The IRS failed to inform 175 taxpayers that employees had improperly accessed their records because agency personnel did not follow established procedures.
Another 101 taxpayers were never notified because the responsible employees resigned or retired before disciplinary action was proposed.
TIGTA issued eight recommendations, including strengthening security systems, restricting employee access to sensitive database functions and reinforcing the legal consequences of intentionally accessing taxpayer records without authorization.
The IRS agreed or partially agreed with seven recommendations, with corrective measures planned for December 2026. However, the agency rejected a recommendation to establish overall timeliness standards for notifying victims, arguing such standards already exist.
The findings come amid longstanding concerns about the IRS's handling of politically sensitive taxpayer information.
President Donald Trump previously filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department, alleging the government failed to protect his confidential tax records from unauthorized inspection and disclosure. He voluntarily dropped the lawsuit in May 2026.
Former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in federal prison in January 2024 after leaking confidential tax information belonging to Trump and other wealthy Americans.
Tyler Durden Mon, 10/05/2026 - 17:00
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
Authored by AG News Staff via American Greatness,
An internal investigation has uncovered widespread failures at the Internal Revenue Service after dozens of employees were flagged for suspiciously accessing confidential taxpayer records, including those belonging to government officials, business leaders and entertainers.
A report released Tuesday by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) identified 86 suspicious instances involving 52 IRS employees accessing the records of 30 taxpayers between 2022 and 2025.
The findings raise fresh concerns about taxpayer privacy, government accountability and the IRS's ability to safeguard Americans' sensitive financial information.
"The IRS's UNAX [unauthorized access] program is not adequately addressing the risk of unauthorized access to taxpayers' accounts," the watchdog concluded.
Investigators also identified 22 employees who were not terminated despite improperly accessing taxpayer information without authorization or consent.
The report revealed additional failures involving taxpayer notifications. The IRS failed to inform 175 taxpayers that employees had improperly accessed their records because agency personnel did not follow established procedures.
Another 101 taxpayers were never notified because the responsible employees resigned or retired before disciplinary action was proposed.
TIGTA issued eight recommendations, including strengthening security systems, restricting employee access to sensitive database functions and reinforcing the legal consequences of intentionally accessing taxpayer records without authorization.
The IRS agreed or partially agreed with seven recommendations, with corrective measures planned for December 2026. However, the agency rejected a recommendation to establish overall timeliness standards for notifying victims, arguing such standards already exist.
The findings come amid longstanding concerns about the IRS's handling of politically sensitive taxpayer information.
President Donald Trump previously filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS and Treasury Department, alleging the government failed to protect his confidential tax records from unauthorized inspection and disclosure. He voluntarily dropped the lawsuit in May 2026.
Former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn was sentenced to five years in federal prison in January 2024 after leaking confidential tax information belonging to Trump and other wealthy Americans.
Tyler Durden Mon, 10/05/2026 - 17:00
Continue reading...
[ H/T ZeroHedge ]
