President Donald Trump has filed a major lawsuit against the U.S. Treasury Department and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), seeking $10 billion in damages over the leak of his tax returns and related financial information.
The lawsuit, filed on Thursday, January 29, 2026, in federal court in Miami, Florida, names Trump, his sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization as plaintiffs. They accuse the agencies of failing to protect confidential tax records from unauthorized disclosure.
The leaks trace back to 2019 and 2020, when former IRS contractor Charles Littlejohn accessed and shared private tax information. Littlejohn leaked documents to media outlets including The New York Times and ProPublica. The New York Times published stories based on the information, revealing that Trump paid only $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017, and no federal income taxes for most of the prior 15 years. ProPublica also published numerous articles using the leaked data.
Littlejohn, who worked as a contractor for the consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton, pleaded guilty in 2023 to unauthorized disclosure of tax return information. He was motivated by political views, describing Trump as a threat to democracy. In January 2024, a court sentenced him to five years in prison.
The lawsuit claims the IRS and Treasury Department did not take required “mandatory precautions” to prevent the breach. It argues that the agencies acted willfully, knowingly, or with gross negligence in allowing the leaks. The plaintiffs say this caused them “significant and irreparable harm,” including damage to their reputations, financial losses, public embarrassment, tarnished business images, and being portrayed in a false light.
Trump’s legal team has described the incident as the IRS wrongly permitting a “rogue, politically-motivated employee” to share private details with “left-wing news outlets.” The suit seeks at least $10 billion, and the plaintiffs may pursue punitive damages.
This case is unusual because Trump, as president, is suing agencies within his own executive branch administration. The Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and acting IRS commissioner are not named as defendants. The IRS and Treasury Department did not immediately comment on the filing.
The lawsuit fits a pattern for Trump since his 2024 reelection and return to the White House. He has filed other high-dollar suits against media organizations, including $15 billion against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, $10 billion against The Wall Street Journal, and $10 billion against the BBC. Florida lawyer Alejandro Brito helped file these cases, including the one against the IRS and Treasury.
The suit also notes recent actions by the administration: Just days before the filing, Treasury Secretary Bessent canceled all department contracts with Booz Allen Hamilton, citing the firm’s failure to safeguard sensitive taxpayer data.
Trump has long faced questions about his taxes. He broke tradition by refusing to release his returns during his first presidential campaigns, citing an ongoing audit. Congress later released six years of his returns in 2022, after he left office, confirming low tax payments in certain years.
This legal action highlights ongoing tensions over privacy, government accountability, and media reporting on high-profile figures. The case will likely draw attention as it moves through the courts.