IRS Destroyed 30 Million Taxpayer Docs–Republicans Demand Explanation

Republicans say the IRS has stonewalled efforts to learn more over the past year

Committee chairman Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.) arrives for a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on March 10, 2023. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Republicans on two major congressional panels responsible for oversight are demanding answers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about its decision to destroy more than 30 million taxpayer documents.

In a letter to IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Mo.) and Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight Chairman David Schweikert (R-Ariz.) reiterated a past request for a memorandum detailing the reasoning behind the 2021 decision (pdf).