Does this video show footage of new IRS agents in training? No, that's not true: The footage is from a university event held in 2017 for accounting students that allowed them to perform a mock investigation with IRS Criminal Investigation unit agents for a day. The claim appeared in a Facebook post on August 17, 2022. The post included a…

Is the IRS trying to arm all its employees? No, that's not true: A job posting from the IRS Criminal Investigation unit, which carries firearms, does refer to carrying firearms. However, the unit consists of only 2,100 law enforcement agents, according to a spokesperson. In comparison, during fiscal year 2021, the IRS used close to 80,000 full-time equivalent positions for…

Is the IRS opening a "sniper school"? No, that's not true: The IRS Criminal Investigation unit declared to Lead Stories that there is no such school opening. The claim was made in an article on a website known for fictitious content. The claim was originally found in an article (archived here) published on August 10, 2022, and titled "IRS to…

Did the IRS just begin buying ammunition during President Joe Biden's time in office? No, that's not true: The IRS started buying ammunition, firearms and equipment for its law enforcement divisions more than 100 years ago. It's standard for federal agencies that have many federal law enforcement officers to buy ammunition, firearms and equipment. The claim appeared in an article…