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A post shared on Facebook claims the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is opening a sniper school to train newly-hired enforcement agents. Verdict: False There is no evidence the IRS is opening such a facility. The claim stems from a satirical website. Fact Check: President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, a $400 billion legislation package, allocates $80 billion in funding for the IRS, according to The Hill . Republicans are concerned the funding will be used to hire thousands of new enforcement agents who will target middle-class families, according to the outlet. A post shared on Facebook claims the IRS is now opening a sniper school to train some 5,000 IRS marksmen. The post cites an anonymous whistleblower as the source of the information. The IRS is looking to cement itself as a militarized arm of the government, just like the FBI, the source concluded, according to the post. (RELATED: Did Trump Say He Would Abolish The IRS If Re-Elected?) The claim is baseless. Check Your Fact found no credible news reports to suggest that the IRS is opening a sniper school or is planning to train agents to use firearms. No such announcement about a new site appears on the agency’s website or its verified social media pages . A keyword search of the post reveals it stems from an Aug. 10 article published by Real Raw News. The website includes a disclaimer on its About Us page that states, This website contains humor, parody, and satire. While there is no evidence to suggest the IRS is planning to open a sniper school, the agency did recently post a job listing for special agents that required applicants to be able to carry firearms and be willing to use deadly force, according to Newsweek . The IRS later removed these requirements, the outlet reported. Check Your Fact has reached out to the IRS for comment and will update this piece accordingly if one is received.
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