Congressional Democrats are urging that the IRS maintain resources and services for non-English speakers – contending that eliminating these options will have negative impacts on tax collection.
Concerns about cuts in multilingual services come after President Trump’s March 2025 Executive Order 14224 designating English as the official language of the U.S. That EO also revoked a longstanding prior order that had required agencies to develop plans to ensure those with limited English proficiency (LEP) can still access agency services.
English Language Executive Order Implementation
Last month, the Justice Department took steps to implement EO 14224, issuing a memo to all federal agencies. The Justice Department shared in the July 14 memo that it would temporarily suspend LEP.gov and “all other public-facing materials related to language access for individuals with LEP.” The Justice Department plans to issue guidance within 180 days of the memo on circumstances where agencies should still offer multilingual assistance.
The Justice Department memo also provides immediate recommendations for federal agencies to comply with EO 14224. Among the recommendations are that agencies determine which programs, grants, and policies would better serve the public if operated only in English. Notably, the memo indicates that agencies “are not required to amend, remove, or otherwise stop production of all multilingual documents, products, or other services prepared or offered.”
Democrats Concerned About Taxpayer Resource Cuts
But while the Justice Department, in its July memo, says EO 14224 is intended to reduce administrative burdens and increase “operational efficiencies,” House and Senate Democrats say eliminating multilingual IRS resources could have the opposite effect.
“When taxpayers cannot understand IRS forms, they are more likely to make mistakes or avoid filing altogether,” write 61 House Democrats in an August 15 letter to Trump and Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Cutting multilingual resources will not save money; they will instead cost the U.S. significant revenue loss in unpaid taxes,” they add.
The House Democrats, led by Representatives Judy Chu (D-CA), Grace Meng (D-NY), and Juan Vargas (D-CA), say they “are also concerned about DOJ’s removal of many language access resources, including LEP.gov which has provided data and best practices to agencies and funded entities for many years.”
The House letter follows up on an April 11 letter expressing concerns about EO 14224 – to which the lawmakers say they have yet to receive a response. The April letter condemns the Trump administration’s move to “weaken language accessibility,” contending it not only threatens civil rights and access to government services, but also makes it “more difficult” for people to “pay their taxes.”
A group of Senate Democrats sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent – who is now serving as the latest acting IRS commissioner – expressing similar concerns. The Senate letter, also dated August 15, contends that as the IRS reviews its multilingual offerings, it should be “obvious that IRS programs would not serve the public at large better if operated exclusively in English.”
The Senate letter, headed up by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and signed by 23 additional Senate Democrats, also focuses on the tax revenue implications of reducing LEP services. Those services include a multilingual toll-free phone line, translation of IRS forms and notices, Schedule LEP, and the Spanish “Child Tax Credit Eligibility Assistant” tool.
The senators say these IRS resources “improved both voluntary tax compliance and service to America’s taxpayers.” Conversely, eliminating the resources “would make it substantially more difficult for non-English-speaking individuals to file their taxes,” they add.
That would come at a time of growing concerns over the federal debt. “The federal government cannot afford to lose even more tax revenue,” reads the letter.
The senators requested a response from Bessent by August 29.
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