Title 26 — Internal Revenue CodeRelease 119-73
§8023 Additional Powers to Obtain Data
Title 26 › Subtitle Subtitle G— The Joint Committee on Taxation › Chapter 92— POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE JOINT COMMITTEE › § 8023
Summary
Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation — or its Chief of Staff, with approval of the Chairman or Vice Chairman — can obtain information, suggestions, rulings, data, estimates, and statistics directly from the IRS, the IRS Chief Counsel's office, and any other federal department or agency for its investigations, reports, and studies on internal revenue taxation. When the committee investigates how the IRS administers the tax laws, its Chief of Staff can require the IRS to hand over tax returns and related information, along with a brief report on any action taken or planned after an audit of each return. The agencies are directed to furnish what is requested, and government reorganization plans do not change these powers.
Full Legal Text
Title 26, §8023
Internal Revenue Code — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)The Joint Committee or the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee, upon approval of the Chairman or Vice Chairman, is authorized to secure directly from the Internal Revenue Service, or the office of the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service, or directly from any executive department, board, bureau, agency, independent establishment, or instrumentality of the Government, information, suggestions, rulings, data, estimates, and statistics, for the purpose of making investigations, reports, and studies relating to internal revenue taxation. In the investigation by the Joint Committee on Taxation of the administration of the internal revenue taxes by the Internal Revenue Service, the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation is authorized to secure directly from the Internal Revenue Service such tax returns, or copies of tax returns, and other relevant information, as the Chief of Staff deems necessary for such investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service is authorized and directed to furnish such tax returns and information to the Chief of Staff together with a brief report, with respect to each return, as to any action taken or proposed to be taken by the Service as a result of any audit of the return.
(b)The Internal Revenue Service, the office of the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service, executive departments, boards, bureaus, agencies, independent establishments, and instrumentalities are authorized and directed to furnish such information, suggestions, rulings, data, estimates, and statistics directly to the Joint Committee or to the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee, upon request made pursuant to this section.
(c)Subsections (a) and (b) shall be applied in accordance with their provisions without regard to any reorganization plan becoming effective on, before, or after the date of the enactment of this subsection.
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The date of the enactment of this subsection, referred to in subsec. (c), is Aug. 16, 1954, the date of enactment of act Aug. 16, 1954, ch. 736, 68A Stat. 4, which enacted this title.
Amendments
1976—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 94–455, § 1210(c), inserted provision that in investigation by Joint Committee on Taxation of the administration of the internal revenue taxes by the Internal Revenue Service, the Chief of Staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation is authorized to secure directly from the Internal Revenue Service such tax returns, or copies of tax returns, and other relevant information, as the Chief of Staff deems necessary for such investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service is authorized and directed to furnish such tax returns and information to the Chief of Staff together with a brief report, with respect to each return, as to any action taken or proposed to be taken by the Service as a result of any audit of the return. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 94–455, § 1907(a)(4), substituted “any” for “Reorganization Plan Numbered 26 of 1950 or to any other” after “without regard to” and “the date of the enactment of this subsection” for “February 28, 1951” after “before, or after”. 1959—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 86–368, § 2(b)(1), substituted “or the office of the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service” for “(including the Assistant General Counsel of the Treasury Department serving as the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service)”. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 86–368, § 2(b)(2), substituted “, the office of the Chief Counsel for the Internal Revenue Service” for “(including the Assistant General Counsel of the Treasury Department serving as the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service)”.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 1976 Amendment Pub. L. 94–455, title XII, § 1210(d)(2), Oct. 4, 1976, 90 Stat. 1711, provided that: “The amendment made by subsection (c) [amending this section] shall take effect on January 1, 1977.” Amendment by section 1907(a)(4) of Pub. L. 94–455 effective on first day of first month which begins more than 90 days after Oct. 4, 1976, see section 1907(c) of Pub. L. 94–455, set out as a note under section 8001 of this title.
Effective Date
of 1959 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 86–368 effective when Chief Counsel for Internal Revenue Service first appointed pursuant to amendment of section 7801 of this title by Pub. L. 86–368 qualifies and takes office, see section 3(b) of Pub. L. 86–368, set out as a note under section 7801 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
26 U.S.C. § 8023
Title 26 — Internal Revenue Code
Last Updated
Apr 6, 2026
Release point: 119-73