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Trump administration to cut thousands of IRS jobs
By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor/Reporter), Alex Delia (Senior Managing Editor ), Bast Bramhall (Video Editor)
- The Trump administration will terminate up to 7,000 IRS workers on Thursday, Feb. 20, according to reports. Managers began receiving emails earlier this week, alerting them to the impending cuts.
- The layoffs are part of the administration’s latest effort to reduce the federal workforce and significantly reduce government spending.
- The government does not consider some IRS workers essential for the upcoming tax filing season as the April 15 deadline draws near.
Full Story
The Trump administration and its Department of Government Efficiency have targeted the Internal Revenue Service. Reports indicated the IRS will lay off between 6,000 and 7,000 workers Thursday, Feb. 20.
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See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- The IRS will lay off roughly 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday, as reported by a person familiar with the plans who spoke to The Associated Press.
- The layoffs affect employees with less than one year of service and are part of the Trump administration's effort to reduce the federal workforce.
- Secretary Kristi Noem of the DHS requested Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to lend IRS workers for immigration enforcement efforts.
- The IRS plans to lay off around 7,000 probationary workers with one year or less of service beginning on Thursday.
- The layoffs are part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency.
- Despite the layoffs, the IRS collected over $1.3 billion in back taxes from wealthy tax evaders by the end of 2024.
- The IRS will lay off about 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday, as reported by the Associated Press.
- IRS managers instructed employees to bring government-issued equipment to the office, according to The New York Times.
- Layoffs affect primarily compliance department workers with less than one year of service, as noted by a source familiar with the plans.
- The Trump administration's effort to reduce the federal workforce targets non-essential positions, reported by The Hill.
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The IRS employs over 90,000 employees, and the deadline to file 2024 income tax returns is approaching.
Who will the government terminate?
Like recent layoffs in other federal agencies, the terminations will target probationary employees or people on the job for less than one year.
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IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division managers received an email from high-ranking officials earlier this week. The email indicated the government would cut 3,500 workers from that department, deeming them not critical to filing season.
Large Business and International Division managers also received the email, encouraging them to support “offboarding activities” in the office on Thursday, Feb. 20, and Friday, Feb. 21.
CBS is also reporting that managers in the Large Business and International Division also received an email, telling them to go into the office on Thursday and Friday to support “offboarding activities.”
Didn’t the Biden administration recently beef up the IRS?
Under former President Biden, the Inflation Reduction Act boosted funding for the IRS by $80 billion over the next 10 years. Congress has since rescinded some of that funding. The Associated Press is reporting that by the end of 2024, the IRS had collected $1.3 billion in back taxes from tax dodgers.
An executive order from President Trump earlier this month instructed heads of agencies to work with DOGE on large scale reductions of the federal workforce.
What other recent developments might affect IRS employees?
Also, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has asked the Treasury Department if her department can borrow IRS workers to help with the Trump administration crack down on illegal immigration.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION AND ITS DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY ARE NOW TARGETING THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE. REPORTS INDICATE THE IRS WILL LAY OFF BETWEEN 6 AND 7 THOUSAND WORKERS TODAY. THE IRS CURRENTLY HAS MORE THAN 90,000 EMPLOYEES AND THE DEADLINE TO FILE 2024 INCOME TAX RETURNS IS APPROACHING… NOW LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AWAY ON, APRIL 15TH.
MUCH LIKE THE RECENT LAYOFFS IN OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES, THE TERMINATIONS WILL TARGET PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES, OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN ON THE JOB FOR LESS THAN A YEAR.
CBS NEWS REPORTS AN E-MAIL FROM HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS TO MANAGERS OF THE IRS SMALL BUSINESS/SELF-EMPLOYED DIVISION ON WEDNESDAY, INDICATED THAT 3500 WORKERS ARE FROM THAT SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT AND NOT DEEMED AS CRITICAL TO FILING SEASON. CBS IS ALSO REPORTING THAT MANAGERS IN THE LARGE BUSINESS & INTERNATIONAL DIVISION ALSO RECEIVED AN E-MAIL, TELLING THEM TO GO INTO THE OFFICE ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY TO SUPPORT “OFFBOARDING ACTIVITIES.”
UNDER FORMER PRESIDENT BIDEN, THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT BOOSTED IRS FUNDING BY $80 BILLION OVER THE NEXT TEN YEARS. CONGRESS HAS SINCE RESCINDED SOME OF THAT FUNDING. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS REPORTING THAT BY THE END OF 2024, THE IRS HAD COLLECTED $1.3 BILLION BACK TAXES, FROM TAX DODGERS.
HOWEVER, AN EXECUTIVE ORDER, ISSUED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP EARLIER THIS MONTH, INSTRUCTED HEADS OF AGENCIES TO WORK WITH DOGE ON LARGE SCALE REDUCTIONS OF THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE.
ALSO, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY KRISTI NOEM HAS ASKED THE TREASURY SECRETARY IF HER DEPARTMENT CAN BORROW IRS WORKERS TO HELP WITH THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S CRACKDOWN ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION.
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Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn moreBias Summary
- The IRS will lay off roughly 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday, as reported by a person familiar with the plans who spoke to The Associated Press.
- The layoffs affect employees with less than one year of service and are part of the Trump administration's effort to reduce the federal workforce.
- Secretary Kristi Noem of the DHS requested Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to lend IRS workers for immigration enforcement efforts.
- The IRS plans to lay off around 7,000 probationary workers with one year or less of service beginning on Thursday.
- The layoffs are part of the Trump administration's efforts to shrink the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency.
- Despite the layoffs, the IRS collected over $1.3 billion in back taxes from wealthy tax evaders by the end of 2024.
- The IRS will lay off about 7,000 probationary workers beginning Thursday, as reported by the Associated Press.
- IRS managers instructed employees to bring government-issued equipment to the office, according to The New York Times.
- Layoffs affect primarily compliance department workers with less than one year of service, as noted by a source familiar with the plans.
- The Trump administration's effort to reduce the federal workforce targets non-essential positions, reported by The Hill.
Bias Comparison
Bias Distribution
Left
Untracked Bias
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