Thompson Leads Ways and Means Democrats in Demanding IRS Release Withheld Data

October 21, 2026 Press Release LAWMAKERS DEMAND ANSWERS OVER DELAYED IRS STATISTICS THAT SHOW WHO RECEIVED A TAX BREAK UNDER CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS’ HR 1 Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04), Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Tax , announced that he led ten Ways and Means Democrats in demanding that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent explain why the Administration has failed to release critical IRS tax return data following the 2026 filing season. The lawmakers raised concerns that the Administration is withholding information that could reveal who is benefiting from Congressional Republicans’ tax law, which disproportionately benefits wealthy Americans. “Congressional Republicans have spent months bragging about their tax law, but now that it's time to show Americans who is actually benefiting, the Administration is keeping the numbers hidden,” said Thompson . “The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation projected that nearly two-thirds of the tax benefits would go to people making over $200,000 a year. If Congressional Republicans are so proud of their tax law, why won't they release the data? Americans deserve to know whether their tax dollars are helping working families or padding the pockets of the wealthy. The Administration needs to stop hiding the ball and release the numbers.” According to recent reporting by POLITICO, detailed IRS tax return statistics originally scheduled for publication in July, with updated statistics expected in September, remain unreleased. The IRS reportedly transmitted the information to the Treasury Department and is awaiting approval to make it public. Meanwhile, the Administration has continued to publicize aggregate tax filing statistics that support its claims about the law. The delayed data is particularly concerning following the passage of Republicans’ H.R. 1 tax law. According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation, taxpayers earning $200,000 or more were projected to receive approximately $337.6 billion in net federal tax reductions in 2027, representing roughly 62 percent of the $547.4 billion in tax reductions analyzed. Millionaires alone were projected to receive $114 billion. In their letter, the lawmakers demanded that Treasury explain which statistical releases have been delayed, who is responsible for approving their publication, and whether any officials at the IRS, Treasury, or White House requested that the information be withheld for reasons unrelated to statistical accuracy or taxpayer confidentiality. They also called for the immediate publication of completed datasets and a schedule for releasing information showing how tax benefits are distributed across income levels. “The Administration has found ample opportunity to celebrate its tax law. It should be equally willing to publish the numbers,” the lawmakers wrote . “Apparently, its enthusiasm for tax data diminishes when the numbers might invite scrutiny.” The lawmakers requested a response from Treasury Secretary Bessent by October 28, 2026. Joining Thompson in the letter were Representatives Lloyd Doggett (TX-37), Danny K. Davis (IL-07), Terri Sewell (AL-07), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Judy Chu (CA-28), Don Beyer (VA-08), Brad Schneider (IL-10), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), and Steven Horsford (NV-04). The full letter can be found here and below: The Honorable Scott Bessent Secretary United States Department of the Treasury 1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20220 Dear Secretary Bessent: We write as Democratic Members of the Committee on Ways and Means to request an explanation for the continued delay in publishing detailed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) statistics following the 2026 tax filing season. This data is essential to understanding who is receiving tax benefits, evaluating changes needed to the tax code, and conducting meaningful congressional oversight. The Administration has found ample opportunity to celebrate its tax law. It should be equally willing to publish the numbers. According to recent reporting by POLITICO, tax return statistics scheduled for release in July, followed by updated statistics in September, remain unpublished. The IRS reportedly provided the data to the Department of the Treasury and is awaiting approval to release them. Meanwhile, the Administration has readily promoted aggregate filing season statistics that support its preferred narrative. Apparently, its enthusiasm for tax data diminishes when the numbers might invite scrutiny. The missing information is particularly important following enactment of H.R. 1, Public Law 119-21. The nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation’s July 29, 2025, distributional analysis, JCX-37-25, projected that taxpayers with incomes of $200,000 or more would receive approximately $337.6 billion of the $547.4 billion net federal tax reduction in 2027 attributable to the provisions analyzed, roughly 62 percent. Taxpayers with incomes of $1 million or more alone would receive $114 billion. These projections underscore why Congress needs timely information about who is claiming the law’s benefits as its provisions take effect. If the Administration believes the evidence vindicates its claims, then you should publish the data. Accordingly, please provide the following information by October 28, 2026: 1. Identify each filing season statistical release that has been delayed, its original publication date, its current status, and a firm date for publication. 2. Document when the IRS transmitted each dataset to Treasury, which offices are reviewing it, and who has authority to approve its release. Explain the basis for requiring Treasury approval and whether this process differs from prior years. 3. Describe any specific accuracy, methodological, or technical concerns preventing publication, when those concerns were identified, and the steps remaining to resolve them. Explain why any unaffected tables cannot be released immediately. 4. Disclose whether any official at the IRS, Treasury, or the White House has requested that publication be delayed, modified, or withheld for reasons other than statistical accuracy or taxpayer confidentiality. Identify the officials involved and provide relevant communications concerning the timing or clearance of these releases. 5. Provide a schedule for publishing aggregate data showing the number of taxpayers claiming each major new or modified individual tax benefit under Public Law 119-21, and the amounts claimed, broken down by adjusted gross income to the extent available and consistent with taxpayer confidentiality. We request the immediate publication of all completed tables that have cleared statistical and disclosure review. For any tables that remain pending, please provide a specific explanation for the delay and release date. Taxpayers are expected to meet the IRS’s deadlines. It is reasonable to expect the Administration to meet its own statutory deadline. Congress and the public deserve the data, whether or not they make for a flattering press release. Sincerely, Issues : Fiscal Responsibility Jobs & Economy