Trump Sues IRS, Treasury Dept. for $10B Over Tax Return Leak

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Former U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Treasury Department, alleging they failed to prevent the disclosure of his tax returns to media outlets such as the New York Times and ProPublica in 2019 and 2020. The lawsuit also names Trump's adult sons and his company as plaintiffs, claiming the agencies' actions caused them "reputational and financial harm, public embarrassment, and unfairly tarnished their business reputations."

Why it matters

This lawsuit represents an ongoing battle between Trump and government agencies over the release of his tax returns, which has been a contentious political issue during and after his presidency. The outcome could have implications for privacy protections around sensitive taxpayer information held by the IRS.

The details

According to the complaint, the IRS failed to take "mandatory precautions" to prevent a former IRS contractor named Charles Littlejohn from leaking Trump's tax returns to "leftist media outlets." The lawsuit alleges this disclosure caused harm to Trump, his family, and his company.

• Trump's tax returns were allegedly leaked to media outlets in 2019 and 2020.
• The lawsuit was filed in Miami federal court on January 29, 2026.

What’s next

The lawsuit will proceed through the federal court system, with the judge likely to rule on whether the IRS and Treasury Department are liable for the alleged disclosure of Trump's tax returns.