IRS's top lawyer removed over taxpayer information debate

The Trump administration has removed the IRS's top attorney, William Paul, amid discussions about sharing taxpayer information with other agencies. He will be replaced by Andrew De Mello, another IRS attorney. Paul's demotion follows concerns over privacy related to proposals from the Department of Government Efficiency to access IRS data. The IRS is also facing significant staff cuts, with about 20% of its workforce expected to be laid off by mid-May. A federal judge has ordered the reinstatement of recently fired IRS workers, but the administration plans to appeal this decision. The IRS's taxpayer services and compliance departments are likely to see major reductions in staff.