IRS Layoffs & How DOGE Could Access Your Tax Data 🧾

This week on Tax Breaks, Forbes Senior Editor Kelly Phillips Erb is talking about job losses at IRS, taxpayer privacy, the House and Senate making progress on the budget, changing your name, taxes on tips, and more.<br /><br />Subscribe to the Tax Breaks newsletter on Forbes: <br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2025/02/22/tax-breaks-the-tax-view-from-the-top-of-the-world-edition/<br /><br />00:00 Introduction<br />00:38 Updates on IRS layoffs, BOI reporting, and federal budget updates<br />09:36 Taxpayer Question<br />11:08 Can DOGE Access IRS Taxpayer Information?<br />14:39 Tax Quiz<br />16:03 A Deep Dive Into Taxes On Tips<br />18:49 Tax Industry Updates<br />20:29 Outro<br /><br />SNOW NOTES:<br />BOI reporting:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2025/02/19/fincen-offers-extra-time-to-file-after-court-reinstates-beneficial-ownership-information-boi-reporting-requirements/<br /><br />Steve Forbes article:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/steveforbes/2025/02/20/2025s-tax-time-bomb-gops-last-chance-to-prevent-economic-shock/<br /><br />SALT deductions:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucebrumberg/2025/02/19/trump-the-irs-and-tax-policy-advisors-make-early-predictions/<br /><br />March shutdown:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/richardmcgahey/2025/02/20/trump-republicans-confront-democrats-over-march-government-shutdown/<br /><br />DOGE access to data:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/howardgleckman/2025/02/20/how-doges-access-to-irs-data-puts-taxpayer-information-at-risk/<br /><br />Taxpayer privacy (with Nixon):<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2025/02/20/irs-taxpayer-data-is-tightly-restricted-by-law-will-this-stop-trump-musk-and-doge-from-gaining-access/<br /><br />SSA name change page:<br />https://www.ssa.gov/personal-record/change-name<br /><br />IRS job cuts:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2025/02/19/irs-to-fire-thousands-of-workers-this-week-in-the-heart-of-tax-season/<br /><br />IRS agents to the border:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2025/02/12/if-irs-sends-its-agents-to-the-border-heres-the-work-that-wont-get-done/<br /><br />No tax on tips:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2024/07/28/no-tax-on-tipsbe-careful-what-you-wish-for/<br /><br />FICA tip credit:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicaledingham/2025/02/18/service-industries-and-the-fica-tip-credit/<br /><br />Hair salon industry:<br />https://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2023/10/21/taxing-tips-untangling-the-hairy-situation-between-beauty-salons-restaurants-and-the-irs/<br /><br />AICPA statement: <br />https://www.aicpa-cima.com/news/article/aicpa-releases-statement-on-irs-ability-to-help-taxpayers-meet-filing<br /><br />NATP page:<br />https://www.natptax.com/AboutNATP/Advertising/Pages/default.aspx<br /><br />Military Times re FSA:<br />https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/mil-money/2025/02/20/troops-new-tax-saving-health-care-benefit-enrollment-starts-march-3/<br /><br />Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1<br /><br />Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row s