TIGTA Finds IRS Fired Thousands Probationary Employees Ignoring Performance

The IRS terminated over 7,000 probationary employees earlier in 2025 as part of President Donald Trump's initiative to reduce the federal workforce, but a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) report found the agency violated its own procedures in doing so. The firings did not consider individual employee performance, despite nearly all affected employees having received positive or fully successful performance reviews. Termination letters cited performance issues as a reason for dismissal, but TIGTA concluded this was not reflective of actual evaluations and was instead standard language provided by the Office of Personnel Management. The IRS also failed to provide the required 30-day notice before termination, further breaching internal policies. Many of the affected probationary employees were part of a recent hiring wave funded by the Inflation Reduction Act to enhance IRS enforcement capabilities, particularly targeting complex tax structures. Following legal challenges and internal concerns, the IRS and Treasury Department directed that all terminated probationary employees be reinstated by May 2025.