IRS spent $10M on weapons, ammo, and gear in 3 years.

Virginia KrutaMay 2, 2023

IRS Spends $10 Million on Weapons and Tactical Gear Since 2020

Hold on to your hats, folks! According to a recent report from watchdog group Open the Books, the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has spent a whopping $10 million on weapons, ammunition, and other tactical gear since 2020. That’s right, you read that correctly!

What the Report Says

The report, which was released to the public last Thursday, contains data through the end of March and reveals that the federal tax agency spent more than $5 million on weapons and gear in 2021 alone. Since 2020, $2.3 million has gone to pay for ammunition, $474,000 has gone to Smith & Wesson rifles, and $463,000 has gone to Beretta 1301 tactical shotguns. In addition, the IRS has spent over $1 million on defensive tactical gear, including $243,000 for body armor vests and $1.2 million for ballistic shields. The agency has also stockpiled helmets, tactical lighting, holsters, and more.

Why the IRS Needs Weapons and Tactical Gear

According to officials, IRS special agents carry firearms because they are expected to manage cases involving organized crime and drug trafficking. The agency owned more than 4000 firearms prior to its most recent spending, ranging from pump action shotguns to semi-automatic rifles to sub-machine guns.

The Inflation Reduction Act

The report from Open the Books comes in the wake of President Joe Biden’s multi-billion dollar Inflation Reduction Act, which would divert billions to the IRS to hire more agents. The IRS asks that applicants be willing to “carry a firearm; must be prepared to protect him/herself or others from physical attacks at any time and without warning and use firearms in life-threatening situations; must be willing to use force up to and including the use of deadly force.”

Previous Spending

Prior to 2020, according to Open the Books, the IRS had already stocked up on weapons and tactical gear and millions of rounds of ammunition, spending over $30 million (adjusted for inflation) since 2006 on such items.