IRS to Layoff 6,000 Employees as Trump Admin Pushes to Downsize Federal Workforce
The Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) will begin laying off approximately 6,000 employees on Thursday as part of the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the federal workforce, according to three people familiar with the plans. The cuts will primarily target recent hires made under the Biden administration’s push to revitalize the agency with increased funding and staffing.
The terminations follow a broader wave of layoffs of probationary federal employees, who have fewer job protections. I.R.S. managers have instructed affected employees to report to the office with their government-issued equipment, according to internal messages reviewed by The New York Times. The agency employs roughly 100,000 accountants, lawyers, and staff nationwide.
“Under an executive order, I.R.S. has been directed to terminate probationary employees who were not deemed critical to filing season,” one email read. While officials claim the cuts will not affect critical tax functions, former I.R.S. leaders and Democratic lawmakers warn that losing thousands of workers in the middle of tax season could disrupt filings for millions of Americans.
The layoffs come amid long-standing Republican efforts to shrink the I.R.S., with accusations that the agency has unfairly targeted conservatives. Some lawmakers, including Billy Long, Trump’s nominee to lead the agency, have even advocated for abolishing it. Trump ousted I.R.S. Commissioner Daniel Werfel, replacing him with Long, a former Republican congressman.
Additionally, the Trump administration has imposed an extended hiring freeze on the I.R.S., and the Department of Homeland Security has requested I.R.S. agents for immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, a member of Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency has sought broad access to the agency’s sensitive taxpayer records.
“There’s a flood of résumés from people at the I.R.S. looking for jobs throughout the tax community,” said Dave Kautter, a former acting I.R.S. commissioner who served in the Treasury Department during Trump’s first term. “Law firms are getting a fair number of résumés, accounting firms are getting a fair number of résumés.”
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