The U.S. Justice Department has permanently barred the Internal Revenue Service from pursuing any audits or tax claims against President Donald Trump, his sons, and the Trump Organization for past tax years.
The restriction was formalized in a one-page document signed by acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and posted to the DOJ website on Tuesday.
The order states the government is “forever barred and precluded” from examining or prosecuting tax matters for returns filed before Monday, or any issues “that were raised or could have been raised.” The ban applies to Trump, his family, affiliates, and the Trump Organization’s current tax examinations. The Justice Department clarified that the settlement only covers existing audits, not future examinations.
The agreement expands on a settlement reached Monday in which Trump agreed to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS over the leak of his tax returns. As part of that deal, the administration also created a nearly $1.8 billion “Anti-Weaponization Fund” to compensate people who believe they were targeted for political prosecution. The fund will allow applicants to seek payouts for alleged lawfare and weaponization by the Biden-era Justice Department.
