A DOGE software engineer is reportedly close to gaining access to sensitive taxpayer data, which is raising alarms. Reports that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is seeking access to a guarded Internal Revenue Service (IRS) system has raised alarm bells in Washington and across the nation.

The unusual request could put sensitive data about millions of American taxpayers in the hands of Trump political appointees.

Allowing the move could give Elon Musk’s team access to the IRS’s Integrated Data Retrieval System, people familiar with the matter said.

Direct deposit is the fastest, safest way to receive your tax refund, and changes cannot be made after filing.

The IRS began accepting tax returns on January 27, and expects to receive over 140 million individual tax returns by the April 15 federal deadline.