IRS Plans Layoffs of 6,000 Employees Amid Tax Season

The IRS is set to lay off around 6,000 employees, primarily targeting recent hires, in response to a federal directive to reduce probationary staff across government agencies. An internal email reveals that over 3,500 employees from the IRS Small Business/Self-Employed Division will be notified of their termination by the end of the week, just before the peak tax filing season. The layoffs follow a trend initiated by the previous administration aimed at cutting costs within federal agencies. The IRS workforce, which had grown under the Biden administration, included approximately 16,000 probationary workers. Managers from various divisions have been called in to facilitate offboarding activities, indicating significant changes in staffing. Concerns have been raised about the impact these layoffs could have on the upcoming tax filing season, which begins in mid-March.