GuShiio.com ① According to sources familiar with the situation, a key staff member of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the headquarters of the Internal Revenue Service on Thursday to review the operations of the tax agency;
② The staff member mentioned by relevant sources is Gavin Kliger, one of Musk’s “six generals” previously exposed by the US media.
Cailian News, February 14 (Editor Xiaoxiang)Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, once had a classic saying,”In this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes.” However, the flow of “certain” taxes after entering the IRS does not seem to be 100%”certain” in Trump’s eyes.
According to sources familiar with the situation, a key staff member of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the IRS headquarters on Thursday to review the operations of the tax agency.
The staff member mentioned by relevant sources is Gavin Kliger, one of Musk’s “six generals” previously exposed by the US media.
Financial Union has previously introduced that Krieger’s current LinkedIn page is labeled “Special Advisor to the Director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.” His previous task at DOGE was to write executive orders, and it was reported that an email earlier this month requiring USAID employees to work from home (and thus close the office) was written by Krieger. It is reported that he also directly drafted a funds review order against the U.S. Treasury Department.
According to people familiar with the situation, Krieger has not yet access to the IRS’s computer systems or taxpayer information, and has not made business adjustments or begun layoffs. U.S. federal law has strict restrictions on those who obtain or view taxpayer information-improper viewing or disclosure of data will lead to criminal penalties.
ButAccording to an IRS employee, Krieger has requested to meet with senior officials and is interested in the agency’s number of people. The IRS has expanded in recent years and has about 100,000 employees.
It is worth mentioning that the IRS is currently in its usual busiest period of the year-it needs to prepare for the mid-April personal income tax filing deadline.
Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee, tweeted on X that he “heard DOGE is currently at the IRS” and warned that tax refunds could be delayed and Musk’s aides would have access to the data.
The IRS has become a thorn in Trump’s side
President Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday that the IRS will be subject to scrutiny just like everyone else, and “almost everyone will be subject to censorship.”
In fact, the IRS has always been a major focus of attention for Musk and Trump. Musk recently released a poll on X asking whether DOGE should audit the IRS.
Trump has now selected a new IRS director-former Missouri Rep. Billy Long. Although Long has not yet been confirmed by the Senate, IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel had previously resigned on Trump Inauguration Day rather than waiting to be fired. IRS operations are currently temporarily managed by Acting Commissioner Douglas O.Donnell.
Republican Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, wrote to O’Donnell on Thursday listing a series of concerns about the agency and saying “the daily operations of the IRS are unacceptable.”
Trump’s hiring freeze on the IRS is stricter and lasts longer than other agencies.IRS employees who accepted the Trump administration’s buyout option and opted to postpone resignations were also asked to continue working for several months because their work was “critical.”
Republicans have been trying to reverse the IRS expansion plan that former President Biden and Democrats began by injecting $80 billion into the IRS in 2022.The Biden policy’s plan at the time had several goals-including improving taxpayer services, updating aging technology, and strengthening enforcement of high-income families and companies.
But Republicans oppose expanding enforcement and have recouped some of the money in Congress.
Musk recently posted on his social media site X that he had disbanded 18F, a government agency responsible for technology projects such as the IRS’s Direct File program, which provides free online tax returns for some taxpayers. The tweet caused confusion among taxpayers about whether the “direct reporting” system was still available. However, the tax reporting system is still available for now.
