FACT CHECK: Did The IRS Hire 950 New Agents Overnight?
A post shared on Facebook claims the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) hired 950 new agents overnight in anticipation of $80 billion in additional funding from a recent bill.
There is no evidence to suggest the agency recently hired 950 new employees. An IRS spokesperson denied the claim. The claim stems from an article published by a satirical website.
Republicans have raised concerns about the possibility of increased levels of IRS auditing following the passing of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act in the U.S. Senate, The Hill reported. The act provides over $80 billion in funding for the IRS, which plans to use more than half of that money to increase enforcement, the outlet reports.
Now, a post shared on Facebook claims the IRS recently hired 950 new agents in anticipation of the additional funding. The post alleges that the government agency has gone on a “mass hiring spree” and has approved the applications of 950 agents, mainly those with law enforcement or military backgrounds, according to anonymous insiders.
“Have you noticed the IRS renamed its offices from IRS buildings to IRS Tax Assistance Centers? The only thing they want to assist you with is going bankrupt and making you dependent on government handouts, conditionally,” one source allegedly said.
The claim is baseless. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to suggest the IRS hired that many agents in such a short time. The claim also does not appear on the agency’s official website or its verified social media pages.
“The question you sent about IRS-CI hiring 950 agents overnight is wildly inaccurate,” said Justin Cole, an IRS spokesperson, in an email to Check Your Fact. (RELATED: Is The IRS Opening A Sniper School?)
Cole added that the IRS criminal investigation division “hopes to be able to hire 300-350 Special Agents during the course of this entire fiscal year,” and said the agency loses between 150 to 175 agents each year due to “retirement and attrition.” The division, which investigates criminal tax violations, currently has approximately 2,100 special agents, the spokesperson said.
A keyword search reveals the Facebook claim stems from an August 14 article published by the website Real Raw News. The website’s “About Us” page states it “contains humor, parody, and satire.”
This isn’t the first time the agency has been the subject of misinformation. Check Your Fact recently debunked a post claiming that former President Donald Trump said he would abolish the agency should he win in the 2024 presidential election.
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