Trump Administration to Lay Off Over 6,000 IRS Workers Amid Tax Season

The Trump administration has announced plans to cut more than 6,000 jobs at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the end of the week, a move that comes during the peak of the US tax season when millions of Americans and businesses rely on the agency for tax filing.

The cuts, which affect employees across various divisions, will see the Small Business/Self-Employed (SBSE) Division lose the most staff.

According to an internal email obtained by CBS News, over 3,500 probationary employees from this division will be terminated by the end of the week.

These workers, who have been with the IRS for less than a year, will not receive severance packages.

While the cuts will affect a significant portion of the IRS workforce, they are particularly focused on probationary employees, a demographic identified by the agency as not critical to the ongoing tax filing season.

The decision to lay off employees in the midst of tax season has raised concerns about the agency’s ability to manage the increased workload as Americans rush to file their taxes before the April 15 deadline.

As of the 2023 fiscal year, the IRS employed around 83,000 individuals. The layoffs come on the heels of the previous Biden administration’s effort to increase IRS funding by $80 billion to enhance the agency’s auditing, enforcement, and investigative capabilities.

However, this initiative faced opposition from Republican lawmakers, who have long targeted the IRS for budget cuts and have criticized its expansion under Biden’s leadership.

The Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures also align with broader efforts to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

In addition to these IRS layoffs, thousands of federal employees have either accepted buyout offers, been fired, or placed on administrative leave.

Some members of the administration have even floated the idea of dismantling entire government agencies.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, in an interview with Fox News, emphasized Trump’s goal of dramatically altering the federal government, stating that the IRS might be replaced with an “External Revenue Service” to generate funds from tariffs instead of taxation.

However, Trump’s ongoing reforms are facing significant legal challenges, leaving both workers and the public uncertain about their future.

Public opinion on Trump’s approach to managing the federal workforce remains divided.

A Washington Post/Ipsos poll revealed that 54% of Americans disapproved of his handling of the federal government, with 60% of politically independent respondents believing he had overstepped his authority.

Despite this, Trump continues to push for significant reductions in government spending and waste, which he claims will benefit everyday Americans by lowering their tax burdens.