Musk-led DOGE axes federal tech team that built tax-filing website
What's the story
Under instructions of billionaire Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the Donald Trump administration has disbanded the 18F digital service team.
The team, which consisted of around 90 members, was immediately locked out of their devices after the decision. It helped to build the Internal Revenue Service's (IRS) free tax-filing service.
The move is in line with executive orders to optimize US government efficiency and was confirmed by the General Service Administration (GSA).
Team dissolution
DOGE labels 18F as 'far-left'
The GSA spokesperson said the move was taken in support of several executive orders, including one titled "Implementing the President's Department of Government Efficiency Workforce Optimization Initiative," dated February 11.
Musk himself responded to an X post describing 18F as a "far-left government-wide computer office" by saying the group has been "deleted."
The 18F team was first launched in 2014 under former President Barack Obama and helped federal agencies improve their digital services.
Service continuity
IRS's free tax-filing service remains operational
Despite the disbanding of the 18F team, the IRS's free direct-file tax website remains operational.
The Washington Post reported that officials from Musk's DOGE have shown interest in utilizing personal tax records to verify federal benefits payments for fraud.
This comes as the Homeland Security Department has sought home addresses from the IRS for approximately 700,000 undocumented immigrants targeted for deportation.