Watchdog Finds IRS Employees Snooped on Celebrities' Tax Records, Keeps 22 on the Job

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration reported, in findings publicized October 5, 2026, that 52 IRS employees made 86 unauthorized accesses to the tax records of 30 taxpayers -- described only as government officials, business leaders and entertainers -- between 2022 and 2025. Of those 52 employees, 22 who accessed records without authorization were not terminated, despite IRS policy stating that removal "is to be proposed" for such violations; the agency's acting chief privacy officer responded to the watchdog's draft findings, though the report does not detail any dispute of the facts.

The inspector general said the findings do not establish that any accessed information was disclosed or misused, but the gap between stated policy and the discipline actually imposed raises questions about whether IRS safeguards, adopted after a 2024 contractor's conviction for leaking tax data, are being consistently enforced. No further agency response or corrective action has been reported.