A member of the DOGE team assigned to work at the IRS will not be granted broad access to Americans’ personal tax information, according to an agreement obtained by ABC News that heads off a request that had sparked concern within the IRS.
As ABC News previously reported, DOGE had sought broad access to an IRS system that contains the personal tax information of millions of Americans, a move that would have given them visibility into personal information including taxpayer names and addresses, social security numbers, details on how much individuals earn and owe, property information, and even details related to child custody agreements.
The terms of the DOGE employee’s temporary assignment at the IRS was laid out in a five-page memorandum of agreement between the Office of Personnel Management and the Internal Revenue Service. The memo states that the DOGE employee, Gavin Kliger, will be assigned to the IRS for a term of 120 days with the possibility of an additional 120-day extension.
In bold letters, the agreement states that “it is not the intention of this assignment for the Detailee to be provided or gain access to returns or return information … including any personally identifiable information associated with such taxpayer records.”
Instead, any information viewed will remain anonymous, said the agreement, which was first obtained by The New York Times.
A flag waves outside the International Revenue Service Building after it was reported the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is preparing to fire thousands of workers in the coming days, in Washington, Feb. 18, 2025.
Kent Nishimura/Reuters
“Should access to IRS systems that contain returns or return information become necessary as part of the Detailee’s duties under this agreement, that access shall only be provided if it is anonymized in a manner that cannot be associated with, directly or indirectly, any taxpayer,” the agreement states.
Kliger has a host of duties while at the IRS, according to the memo. They include “surveying IRS software,” “identifying opportunities to modernize IRS technology and software,” and “implementing safeguards to prevent fraud.”
Kliger, who is technically an employee of the Office of Personnel Management, is also working across other agencies including OPM, USAID, and the State Department, sources told ABC News.
An IRS spokesperson did not respond to ABC News’ request for comment. A spokesperson for OPM declined to comment.
