IRS workforce cuts raise concerns during tax season
The Trump administration says staff reductions at the IRS will not impact taxpayer services, but employees say otherwise.
The Trump administration says staff reductions at the IRS will not impact taxpayer services, but employees say otherwise.
The Trump administration says staff reductions at the IRS will not impact taxpayer services, but employees say otherwise.
The April 15 or request an extension is fast approaching as the IRS is facing significant workforce cuts.
The staff reductions have raised concerns about customer service during the agency바카라 게임 웹사이트s peak season, but the Trump administration has insisted that downsizing efforts will not cause disruptions to this year바카라 게임 웹사이트s filing season.
바카라 게임 웹사이트President Trump has made it clear that he is committed to making the federal government more efficient without compromising mission-critical operations. There will be no disruptions to service,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Liz Huston, White House assistant press secretary, said in an email.
The IRS didn바카라 게임 웹사이트t agree to an interview, but shows the agency is processing tax returns and issuing refunds at a pace consistent with this time last year. electronic filers should expect their refund in up to 21 days, with a longer wait for returns sent by mail.
Jim Simpson, an accountant in Arizona who helps low-income people file taxes and serves on an IRS panel that advocates for taxpayers, said he has not seen any major problems yet this year.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I have had to call the IRS a couple of times and wait on hold. That's not really new. That's been a problem since COVID,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Simpson said.
But Simpson is worried about the road ahead, as is Doreen Greenwald. She worked at the IRS for more than three decades and currently serves as president of the National Treasury Employees Union.
"This year, I believe the IRS you'll see some reductions in service. What I'm fearful about is after the filing season,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Greenwald said.
that the IRS plans to eliminate nearly a quarter of its workforce in a wave of layoffs that began Friday, a figure that the Trump administration has yet to publicly confirm.
A Treasury Department spokesperson said Friday that no decisions have been made about the scope of layoffs and added in a statement, 바카라 게임 웹사이트Staffing reductions that are currently being considered at the IRS will be part of 바카라 게임 웹사이트 and driven by 바카라 게임 웹사이트 process improvements and technological innovations that will allow the IRS to collect revenue and serve taxpayers more effectively.바카라 게임 웹사이트
But Greenwald argues that mass layoffs at the IRS, which is responsible for collecting the vast majority of government revenue, will hurt the Trump administration바카라 게임 웹사이트s goal of getting the national debt under control.
"When you're trying to balance a budget or you're trying to address a deficit, what you don't want to do is cut the people who are collecting the funds to help you do that,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Greenwald said.
Kelli McGlothlin, who previously worked in compliance, is one of roughly 7,000 probationary workers who were abruptly fired in February. At least some are now expected to return to work full-time beginning April 14 in compliance with a recent court order requiring their reinstatement, according to an email from the agency last week.
McGlothlin, who had been with the IRS for less than one year at the time of her dismissal, said the administration cited poor performance, but she had never received negative feedback.
바카라 게임 웹사이트I voted for Trump. I mean, I really thought he did a good job in the first term,바카라 게임 웹사이트 McGlothlin said. 바카라 게임 웹사이트He needs to understand that he's going after the wrong people. ... We weren't hurting the government. We were helping.바카라 게임 웹사이트
In addition to layoffs, thousands of IRS employees have opted to leave their jobs voluntarily through buyout offers. The Trump administration has said those involved in the 2025 tax season are not allowed to accept the offer until after the April 15 filing deadline.
Taxpayers in 25 states can use an online tool to file directly with the IRS for free. launched last year as a pilot and has since expanded. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said during his confirmation hearing that the program would continue, at least through the end of this tax season. An agency spokesperson declined to comment on future plans for the program.
Concerns have also been raised about the that are facing upcoming lease cancellations.
A Treasury spokesperson said they are working to identify spaces with "low occupancy and few visitors."
바카라 게임 웹사이트This includes identifying other federal agencies that are customer-facing, like the Social Security Administration, that the Department may co-locate with in order to save hard working American taxpayers money,바카라 게임 웹사이트 the spokesperson added in a statement.
Meanwhile, is still awaiting Senate confirmation. The previous commissioner resigned and later criticized mass layoffs alongside former IRS commissioners going back to the Reagan era.
"It will shift the burden of funding the government from people who shirk their taxes to the honest people who pay them, and it will impede efforts by the I.R.S. to modernize customer service and simplify the tax filing process for everyone," the former commissioners wrote.