Elon Musk’s U.S. DOGE Service is seeking permission to access a highly secured Internal Revenue Service (IRS) system that holds detailed financial records about every individual, business, and nonprofit across the country, according to three sources familiar with the matter. This request has caused concern within the tax agency.
In response to pressure from the White House, the IRS is considering a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that would grant DOGE—short for Department of Government Efficiency—extensive access to IRS systems, properties, and datasets.
One of these is the Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS), which allows IRS employees to view taxpayer accounts, including personal identification numbers and bank details. It also provides the ability to modify transaction data and generate notices, collection documents, and other records automatically.
A draft of the memorandum shows that DOGE software engineer Gavin Kliger is set to work at the IRS for 120 days, with the potential for his assignment to be renewed. His primary role at the IRS is to offer engineering support and provide consulting services for IT modernization.
The agreement requires Kliger to maintain strict confidentiality regarding tax return information, prevent unauthorized access, and ensure the destruction of any such information shared with him once his work with the IRS concludes.
IDRS access is highly restricted—individuals whose information is improperly disclosed or inspected are entitled to compensation—and the request for DOGE’s access has raised alarms within the IRS, according to three individuals familiar with internal discussions who spoke anonymously to share private conversations.
As of Sunday evening, Kliger had not yet been granted access to IDRS, according to one person familiar with his movements and access at the tax agency. Acting IRS Commissioner Doug O’Donnell had yet to finalize the MOU allowing him to perform detailed work.
O’Donnell’s predecessor, Danny Werfel, resigned on January 20, after President Trump announced plans to replace him with former Congressman Billy Long (R-Missouri), whose Senate confirmation is still pending.
This development comes as approximately 150 million taxpayers are preparing to file their returns by the April 15 deadline. During his first term, Trump had previously suggested using IRS agents against political opponents, raising concerns about the agency’s independence.
The IRS’s systems are considered outdated, with many dating back to the 1960s, and reforming the agency’s IT infrastructure aligns with DOGE’s mandate to modernize government technology. Typically, IRS contractors are granted system access to repair or maintain systems like IDRS.
However, granting political appointees access to personal taxpayer data—or even systems connected to that data—has raised concerns among experts. Traditionally, IRS commissioners do not have access to IDRS, nor does the national taxpayer advocate, the agency’s internal consumer watchdog, according to Nina Olson, who held the position from 2001 to 2019.
“The information that the IRS has is incredibly personal. Someone with access to it could misuse it, leak it, or share it with others, violating citizens’ rights,” Olson explained.
A Trump administration official argued that DOGE personnel need IDRS access to combat “waste, fraud, and abuse, and to enhance government performance for the public good.”
The official emphasized that DOGE’s mission to increase government efficiency is being pursued “legally and with the necessary security clearances.”
However, IRS procedures stipulate that a security clearance alone does not authorize access to taxpayer systems. IDRS access is granted only for essential tax administration purposes, not national security reasons.
“IDRS users can only access accounts necessary to perform their official duties,” according to IRS policy.
White House spokesman Harrison Fields told The Post: “Waste, fraud, and abuse have been entrenched in our broken system for far too long. It takes direct access to the system to identify and fix it. DOGE will continue to expose the fraud they find, as the American people deserve to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent.”
Kliger unexpectedly arrived at IRS headquarters on Thursday and was appointed senior adviser to the acting commissioner. IRS staff were instructed to treat Kliger and other DOGE officials as contractors, according to two sources.
A White House official later clarified that DOGE personnel at the IRS are full agency employees, not contractors.
During his first day at the IRS, Kliger met with Ken Corbin, the IRS’s chief of taxpayer services, and Heather Maloy, the agency’s top enforcement official. The agency is also preparing for potential layoffs, with plans for about 10,000 probationary employees to be cut as soon as this week. Kliger has not returned to IRS headquarters since those initial meetings.