The thousands of layoffs scheduled to begin at the IRS on Thursday could disrupt tax-filing season, according to a report from Politico.
The outlet reported that 6,000 IRS employees are expected to be let go as part of a larger push by the Department of Government Efficiency to reduce the size of the federal bureaucracy.
Though the cuts are coming at the height of tax season, IRS managers have been notified of impending terminations for employees who have been in their jobs for less than one year or, in certain cases, less than two years, depending on their role.
Those working in enforcement are expected to be targeted disproportionately because they represent a large share of the agency's new hires, and their dismissal could have a major impact on its ability to collect taxes. Millions of Americans began filing their taxes last month and will continue to do so through the April 15 deadline.
Politico reported that nearly two-thirds of IRS employees will become eligible to retire in the next six years, meaning that shedding new hires could hit the agency especially hard given its older workforce and historically high rates of attrition.
In a post on LinkedIn, former IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig denounced the planned cutbacks. Rettig headed the agency during President Donald Trump's first administration.
"An underfunded IRS significantly benefits unidentified, noncompliant taxpayers at the direct expense of compliant taxpayers," he said.
A person familiar with the agency's plans told Politico that it is unclear if there will be additional rounds of layoffs.
In a video message to employees at the IRS' Kansas City facility, Shannon Ellis, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 66, said an unspecified number of people working there will be laid off.
"We received notification today that employees in SB/SE who are on probation are scheduled for termination," Ellis said, referring to the agency's Small Business/Self Employed division.
In another video message viewed by Politico, Ellis said that it is unknown if the move "is going to impact other than probationary employees."
"We don't know what time, we don't know how it's going to happen, we don't even know if it includes all of our probationary employees," she said.
Newsmax reached out to the Treasury Department for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
The IRS is especially vulnerable to the DOGE-driven layoffs because it went on a hiring spree in recent years after receiving $80 billion in special funding from Congress in 2022. Initially focused on improving its customer service, the agency recently shifted its attention to focus on improving enforcement efforts.
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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