The Internal Revenue Service, which is under sustained attack by Republican lawmakers and conservatives, is conducting a “comprehensive” review of its security amid threats to the tax authority and its employees.
In a letter sent to staff on Tuesday, IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig said there was “a large amount of misinformation and false social media posts, some of which were directed at the IRS and its employees. It is a threat directed at
As a result, the agency is reviewing “existing safety and security measures” at its operations nationwide and is “increasing engagement” with law enforcement and security agencies.
“We are aware of these messages of concern and would like to assure you that your safety is and will remain my number one priority,” Rettig wrote.
Security reviews and letters to staff were previously reported by The Washington Post.
Misinformation and conspiracy theories about government agencies have surged in the wake of a Democratic-backed bill that would give tax collectors an extra $80 billion to help crack down on tax fraud.President Biden signed the deal last week. The law aims to make government agencies employ more than 80,000 people, upgrade outdated technology systems, and improve their ability to serve taxpayers.
Biden and Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen have promised that the additional headcount will not increase scrutiny or audits of anyone making less than $400,000 a year.
In a memo to Retig last week, Yellen reiterated the agency’s top priorities and that it must focus on wealthy tax evaders and corporate tax evasion.
“These investments won’t take household incomes below $400,000 a year, or make small businesses more likely to be audited than they were at historical levels,” Yellen wrote.
But the fundraising has spawned many unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about the threat that family-owned stores and middle-class Americans face from daring tax collectors. Claims abound that the new agents will be heavily armed, despite the fact that they have jobs that require them to carry guns.
That hasn’t stopped elected officials from fanning false allegations.
Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, a Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, told Fox News viewers this month that a new IRS agent would be armed with an “AK-15” and “kill small businesses in Iowa.” I am ready to shoot,” he warned. ”
Other Republican lawmakers have warned that more IRS agents will lead to audits of small business owners and middle-class Americans, despite the administration’s promises.
Yellen wrote on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that the safety of IRS employees is a “top priority.”
As The New York Times reported last week, the scale and speed with which rumors about the agency spread are a reflection of the political and logistical challenges the Biden administration will face as it embarks on the biggest reform of the IRS since its inception. It is an omen.