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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11A September 29, 2026, audit found that IRS controls did not adequately prevent or detect suspicious access to high-profile taxpayers’ records. The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) identified 86 suspicious accesses involving 30 accounts and 52 employees in a targeted review of IRS system logs. Those entries were referred for investigation; they are not 86 adjudicated violations, and the audit does not establish what happened in each case afterward.
What did the audit find?
TIGTA reviewed Integrated Data Retrieval System (IDRS) audit logs for calendar years 2022 through 2025, with the reviewed period running through November 2025. It searched a limited set of high-profile taxpayer names, including people in government, business, and entertainment. In that targeted review, TIGTA found 86 suspicious accesses involving 30 accounts and 52 IRS employees. The IRS had not identified those accesses; TIGTA referred them to its Office of Investigations.
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The audit’s finding is about weak controls and suspicious system activity, not proof that every access was unlawful. It does not give the results of the investigations or identify the taxpayers or employees involved. Nor is the targeted review a measure of how often unauthorized access occurs across the IRS or among all high-profile accounts.
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How could employees access the records?
IRS employees sometimes need taxpayer information to do their jobs, but access is permitted only for an official tax-administration purpose. The IRS Internal Revenue Manual, effective April 21, 2026, defines UNAX as willful unauthorized access, attempted access, or inspection of a taxpayer’s returns or return information. It says employees and contractors may access records only when required for assigned official duties and obtained through official channels. It specifically bars browsing a celebrity’s or politician’s records without authorization and a need to know.
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The NAMES command-code weakness
TIGTA singled out the NAMEB and NAMEI “NAMES” command codes. They can use a taxpayer’s name and address to retrieve identifying information, including a taxpayer identification number. According to the audit, activity through these codes bypassed existing IRS monitoring methods and lacked systemic preventive or monitoring controls. TIGTA cited a customer service representative searching for a prominent business leader with a NAMES command code as an example of suspicious activity.
The report recommended that the IRS study stronger controls, including whether to limit which employees can use the codes and how to monitor suspicious use. The audit describes a control gap; it does not say that every use of NAMES was improper.
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What did TIGTA find about discipline and taxpayer notification?
Discipline in reviewed cases
For fiscal years 2023 through 2025, TIGTA examined 53 employee cases involving access to taxpayer accounts without the taxpayer’s knowledge or consent. The IRS terminated 31 employees; the other 22 received discipline ranging from suspension to reprimand. In 13 of those 22 cases, the deciding official cited length of service and a first-time offense as reasons not to terminate the employee. TIGTA said the outcomes were inconsistent with the IRS Manager’s Guide to Penalty Determinations and the agency’s stated zero-tolerance approach.
These 53 cases are a separate group from the 52 employees in the audit’s targeted high-profile-account review. The figures describe different analyses and should not be combined.
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Notices to taxpayers
TIGTA found that 175 taxpayers were not notified because employees failed to follow notification procedures. Another 101 were not notified because the employees responsible had resigned or retired before discipline was proposed. The IRS process tied notification to proposed discipline, so those departures could prevent notice from being sent. TIGTA also found that notices were not always sent promptly and recommended a process to ensure all affected taxpayers are notified.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What changes did TIGTA recommend?
The audit lists eight recommendations. They address stronger preventive controls, monitoring use of NAMES command codes, clearer discipline guidance, notification of all affected taxpayers, executive oversight, and improved performance measures. The report summary says IRS management agreed or partially agreed with seven of the eight. That response does not itself establish that the recommended changes have been implemented.
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The IRS UNAX program covers prevention, detection, investigation, adjudication, notification, and reporting. TIGTA investigates suspected incidents; substantiated cases may be referred to the Department of Justice and the IRS for prosecution or administrative action. IRS policy allows discipline without a criminal conviction, and taxpayers may have civil remedies for unlawful inspection even if information was not disclosed to someone else. A suspicious access alone does not establish a criminal violation, a completed adjudication, or entitlement to damages.
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Earlier government figures cover different periods and kinds of cases, so they are context rather than a direct comparison with the 2026 targeted review.
| Finding | Period and scope | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 86 suspicious accesses across 30 high-profile accounts involving 52 employees | IDRS logs for calendar years 2022–2025 through November 2025; targeted sample, referred for investigation | TIGTA, September 29, 2026 |
| 31 employees terminated; 22 received other discipline | 53 employee cases reviewed for fiscal years 2023–2025 | TIGTA, 2026 |
| 175 taxpayers not notified after procedures were not followed; 101 more not notified after responsible employees resigned or retired before proposed discipline | Notification findings in the 2026 audit | TIGTA, 2026 |
| 1,694 investigations involving a UNAX issue; 27% substantiated as violations | Fiscal years 2012–2021; TIGTA and IRS averaged 464 days combined to investigate and close cases | U.S. Government Accountability Office, 2022 |
Why access is different from disclosure
The 2026 audit concerns suspicious access to records; it does not report that the information in those cases was disclosed. A separate case involving former IRS contractor Charles Edward Littlejohn involved unlawful disclosure. The IRS said Littlejohn pleaded guilty and was sentenced to five years in prison in February 2024. TIGTA’s 2026 audit states that he accessed more than 400,000 taxpayer accounts. That case illustrates why access and disclosure must be distinguished; it does not establish that the high-profile suspicious-access referrals had the same facts or outcome.
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