The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is reportedly laying off around 6,000 employees as part of a broader effort to reduce the federal workforce.
The layoffs are said to primarily impact recent hires, as part of the previous US government’s plans to strengthen the IRS through increased funding and staffing, the New York Times reported citing three individuals familiar with the matter.
The government has now initiated layoffs of probationary employees across various federal agencies as they typically have fewer job protections than those with longer tenure.
Managers are said to have instructed affected employees to report to the office in the coming days and return their government-issued equipment, according to internal communications reviewed by the publication.
As per records, the IRS employs approximately 100,000 personnel, including accountants, lawyers, and administrative staff across the US.
With the layoffs coinciding with the ongoing tax filing season, some former IRS officials and lawmakers have warned that reducing staff at this time could affect the agency’s ability to process tax returns efficiently, even though the layoffs are not expected to impact employees classified as “critical.”
In addition to these layoffs, the IRS has been subject to an extended hiring freeze, while the Department of Homeland Security has recently requested IRS personnel for assistance with immigration enforcement.
Dave Kautter, who led the IRS on an acting basis and had served in the Treasury Department, was quoted by the publication as saying: “There’s a flood of résumés from people at the IRS. looking for jobs throughout the tax community.
“Law firms are getting a fair number of résumés, accounting firms are getting a fair number of résumés.”
The latest development comes on the heels of the IRS appointing 18 new members to the Internal Revenue Service Advisory Council (IRSAC).
"US IRS to lay off nearly 6,000 employees" was originally created and published by The Accountant, a GlobalData owned brand.
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