The Internal Revenue Service is laying off more than 6,000 employees Thursday as part of President Donald Trump’s push to slash federal spending, a source familiar with the move told Reuters.
The layoffs targeting 6,700 probationary employees — that is, those employed for less than a year — come in the middle of tax season. That group of workers represents a little over one-third of all probationary employees.
Probationary employees across agencies have been targeted by Trump and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency in recent weeks, with the Associated Press estimating hundreds of thousands of employees could be impacted.
Managers already started ordering employees to report to the office with their issued equipment, The New York Times reports.
“Under an executive order, I.R.S. has been directed to terminate probationary employees who were not deemed critical to filing season,” an email from an IRS manager reviewed by the Times reads. “We don’t have many details that we are permitted to share, but this is all tied to compliance with the executive order.”
The restructuring could strain the agency as they process returns through the April 15 filing deadline, Reuters reports.
Not only is the Trump administration firing these employees, it has also prevented the IRS from hiring anyone indefinitely. The Department of Homeland Security has also ordered some IRS agents to assist with the administration’s mass deportation efforts, according to the Times.
While Trump issued an executive order the first day of his presidency ordering a 90-day hiring freeze for all federal agencies, he noted an exception for the IRS, placing it under the freeze until his administration determines “that it is in the national interest” to hire again.
This could impact tax season especially because the IRS typically hires thousands of temporary workers to assist with processing filings.
Former officials and Democratic lawmakers alike have warned these freezes and firings could disrupt Americans’ abilities to easily file their taxes and receive any potential returns, the Times reports.
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