On Monday, March 10th, National Whistleblower Center wrote to the Department of Government Efficiency (“DOGE”), urging the Department to maximize the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Whistleblower Program during its review of the agency.
In the letter, NWC Chairman of the Board of Directors Stephen M. Kohn and Senior Policy Analyst Dean Zerbe outlined the benefits of the program. IRS whistleblower-based examinations bring in $398 more per hour compared to the DIF-selected audits while also maintaining an operational cost over half that of other IRS enforcement programs. The letter also detailed how no-change rates of whistleblower-based audits were lower than the average 12% rate for DIF-selected audits.
The sitting administration has voiced its support of the program, and the letter aims to assist the administration with bolstering the efficacious program so that it can realize its full potential. During his Senate confirmation hearing, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent affirmed his support for the program, stating that he and Senator Grassley – a champion of the program – were in “complete alignment on this program.” President Trump has also recognized the benefits of whistleblowers, encouraging them to leverage the False Claims Act in his Executive Order 14173.
In an attached addendum, Kohn and Zerbe outlined reforms which could see the increased productivity of the program. Recommendations include closer collaboration with tax whistleblowers and their attorneys,...
In a July 2, 2025, press release, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced a new “DOJ-HHS False Claims Act Working Group” (the Working Group) and identified multiple priority enforcement eff...