Hillary Vaughn reported that more than 100,000 federal workers, including thousands employed by the Internal Revenue Service, owe significant unpaid taxes despite the agency’s authority to enforce compliance among its own staff.

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The Internal Revenue Service announced that Jan. 26 will be the start of the filing season. Several new tax law provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act become effective, on 2025 returns. Taxpayers have until Wednesday, April 15, 2026, to file 2025 tax returns.

“While most Americans had to write a big fat check to the government today to pay their taxes, over 100,000 federal workers are not paying their taxes in 2021. The IRS found that almost 150,000 federal workers owe about $1.5 billion in unpaid taxes,” Vaughn said.

She added that more than 5,000 of those employees work at the IRS itself. “Over 5000 of them work at the IRS and owe 50 million in overdue taxes, even though the IRS can fire its workers that are not paying their taxes, only 20 people have been terminated,” Vaughn said.

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Vaughn described the limited terminations as a “double standard,” saying it is an issue Sen. Joni Ernst is seeking to address.

“That double standard is something Senator Joni Ernst, Senate DOGE Caucus Chair, wants to stop. She's introducing several bills aimed at cleaning up the IRS,” Vaughn said.

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U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst speaks during Gov. Kim Reynolds' Harvest Festival fundraiser at Oman Family Youth Inn at the Iowa State Fairgrounds on Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024, in Des Moines.

According to Vaughn, one of Ernst’s proposals would require regular reviews of IRS employees’ tax compliance.

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“One bill would require IRS employees to be audited every year and fired if they don't pay their taxes,” she said.

Vaughn also reported on IRS spending related to firearms and ammunition.

“But while the IRS is not catching the tax cheats on their own payroll, they are busy arming their workforce,” she said.

She detailed the agency’s reported expenditures.

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“Ernst is also calling out 10 million taxpayer dollars the IRS has spent on guns and ammo, stockpiling 4500 guns, 5 million rounds of ammo, even 15 machine guns.”

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