Just before his abrupt dismissal, IRS Commissioner Billy Long reportedly pushed back against a White House request to use confidential taxpayer data to verify the addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants. This clash may have contributed to his ouster.
According to reports, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) sent the IRS a list of 40,000 names on Thursday and requested address confirmation using sensitive tax records. The IRS was able to verify under 3% of the names, mostly those matched to Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers (ITINs), and refused to share any additional information, citing taxpayer privacy protections.
This dispute arises amid a broader push by the Trump administration to utilize IRS data for immigration enforcement. Earlier this year, officials sought ways to share taxpayer data for millions of undocumented individuals, raising alarms among IRS lawyers and privacy advocates. Critics warn that such practices could erode public trust in the tax system and deter filings, potentially resulting in billions of dollars in lost tax revenue.
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