Unfettered DOGE Access Could Reach Personal Tax Records, Confidential Business Information, IRS Investigations, Tax Records of Musk’s Competitors and More

Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance, Communications Workers of America and National Federation of Federal Employees Seek Temporary Restraining Order to Halt Trump Administration’s Takeover of IRS to Protect the Confidential Information of American Taxpayers

Washington, DC — Tonight, the Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance, the National Federation of Federal Employees and Communications Workers of America filed an emergency suit in federal court to stop Elon Musk’s “U.S. DOGE Service” (“DOGE”) from unlawfully accessing confidential and sensitive taxpayer data from the IRS. The coalition tax experts and taxpayer advocates, small businesses, and unions are asking a court to halt DOGE’s unfettered and lawless access to personal data at levels that far exceed those experienced since Watergate and endanger the privacy of hundreds of millions of Americans. The Center for Taxpayer Rights, Main Street Alliance, Communications Workers of America and the National Federation of Federal Employees are represented by Democracy Forward. 

Since President Trump’s inauguration nearly one month ago, DOGE has sought to access critical data from across the government, including data that contains information regarding Americans. This sweeping campaign to access highly sensitive data has reached the IRS, which houses some of the nation’s most sensitive information systems and where special protections govern access to this information. Unfettered access, without regard to statutory privacy protections, will mean DOGE will have access to confidential business information, IRS investigations, social security numbers, individuals’ financial well-being, bank account information and more. DOGE will even have access to tax records belonging to Elon Musk’s business competitors, meaning Mr. Musk will have something that “no other business owner on the planet has access to” regarding their competitors, according to the suit, which also highlights the administration’s stated interest in data about those who have taken the child tax credit. 

“The efficiency and effectiveness of our system is dependent upon taxpayers’ trust that the information they voluntarily provide the IRS will be held confidential,” said Nina Olson, Executive Director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights. “Allowing DOGE unfettered access to the sensitive data held by the IRS is a violation of both the rights of all taxpayers and their trust. We all need to ensure that protection and rights are not violated.”

“When small business owners pay their taxes they expect that data to be safe, secure and to be reliable. DOGE is none of those things. Giving unfettered access to unaccountable acolytes of Elon Musk, whose motives are questionable at best, gives pause to Main Streets across the US,” said Shawn Phetteplace, National Campaigns Director, Main Street Alliance. “They should follow the law. It’s a necessity, not a mere inconvenience.”

“Our more than 110,000 professional and non-professional federal workers deserve to be able to trust that their sensitive financial information is protected and secure,” said National Federation of Federal Employees National President Randy Erwin. “The Privacy Act was established after Watergate to prevent exactly this type of behavior. Musk and his operatives’ unfettered, lawless access must be stopped.”

“Everyone who files a federal tax return does so with the expectation that the information that they provide will be confidential,” said Communications Workers of America President Claude Cummings Jr. “Illegally allowing unaccountable individuals working on behalf of DOGE access to that information, including social security numbers and bank account details, puts our members and retirees at risk of having their personal information disclosed in ways that could cause them financial harm.”

“Hundreds of millions of Americans across the nation file taxes and provide sensitive, personal information to the IRS and they do so knowing that Congress has put in place protections to safeguard their data. DOGE is taking a wrecking ball to these protections and harming hardworking Americans and small businesses in the process,” said Skye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward. “DOGE must not be permitted to trample on the American people’s rights and that is why we are honored to represent our clients in this federal court challenge to put a stop to DOGE’s lawless and harmful activities.” 

The complaint alleges that DOGE’s access to sensitive information lacks statutory authority and violates the Tax Reform Act, the Privacy Act, and the Administrative Procedure Act. 

Read the complaint here.