Fact-check · Oct 30, 2026 · Scott Bessent
“The IRS has 2,900 gun carrying accountants”
FALSE
What the record shows
IRS Criminal Investigation employs approximately 2,100 armed special agents as of recent reports, not 2,900.
Multiple independent sources consistently report ~2,100 CI special agents with firearms authority. The claim overstates the figure by roughly 800 agents.
Sources
- The Militarization Of The IRS
- After an IRS agent was shot and killed at a Phoenix gun range, many are asking why the IRS has armed agents
- Are 87,000 New IRS Agents Coming for Your Tax Dollars?
- Who Are IRS Special Agents and What Should I Do If They Contact Me?
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Special Agent Careers Info
- irs criminal investigation special agenT
From: Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent Holds a Fraud Task Force Press Conference in St. Cloud, MN
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