DOGE & Palantir Team Up for IRS Data Overhaul

Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is collaborating with Palantir to create a “mega API” for accessing Internal Revenue Service (IRS) records, according to sources within the IRS.

The collaboration, involving Palantir representatives and IRS engineers, aims to build a unified API layer across all IRS databases. This initiative was described as a “hackathon.” The goal is for this new API to potentially access all IRS data, including taxpayer information like names, addresses, Social Security numbers, tax returns, and employment details. The system could also facilitate comparisons between IRS data and datasets from other agencies.

If successful, DOGE envisions Palantir’s Foundry software as the central “read center” for all IRS systems. This would allow authorized users to view and potentially modify all IRS data in one location.

Foundry, Palantir’s platform, organizes data, builds applications, and runs AI models. Its “ontology” layer can generate APIs for faster data connections and enable machine learning models. This would empower users to query agency data using AI, requiring the AI system to access sensitive information.

Engineers involved believe the API project can be completed within 30 days.

Palantir, known for its government contracts, develops software tools like Foundry and Gotham, used in defense and intelligence. CEO Alex Karp has acknowledged DOGE’s cost-cutting impact, stating its benefits for America and Palantir. Key government IT and DOGE roles have recently been filled by former Palantir employees.

WIRED previously reported on the IRS’s DOGE team hosting a “hackathon” to launch the API project. The event, held in Washington, DC, involved engineers discussing how to achieve DOGE’s objectives.

A Treasury Department spokesperson indicated that a contract with Palantir hasn’t been signed, noting that “many vendors are being considered.”

The Treasury Department emphasizes that the collaboration brings together talented IRS engineers to streamline systems for taxpayers. The “IRS Roadmapping Kickoff” seminar focused on strategy sessions to create efficient systems.

Sam Corcos, a former SpaceX engineer and health-tech CEO, leads the project. He has proposed pausing engineering work and canceling contracts to modernize IRS computer systems, having already cut approximately $1.5 billion from the modernization budget. Corcos is also a special advisor to the Treasury Secretary.

Palantir and Corcos have not yet commented on the matter.

This consolidation aligns with an executive order to eliminate “information silos” to combat fraud, but it also raises concerns about centralizing sensitive personal data.

Updated: April 12, 2025