Donald Trump has plenty of tricks up his sleeve. But this one may take the cake.
Because Trump moved to completely cripple the IRS with a daring and unprecedented act.
IRS Announces Mass Furloughs Amid Shutdown
The Internal Revenue Service informed employees on Wednesday that thousands will be furloughed as the partial government shutdown extends into its second week, according to an updated contingency plan.
The plan retains 39,870 IRS employees, representing 53.6% of the workforce, with those continuing operations compensated using “non-expiring funds.” Of the retained staff, 24,470 are assigned to the Taxpayer Services division.
The agency’s original plan kept all employees on duty for the first five business days after the Oct. 1 lapse, but did not outline steps beyond Oct. 7. Furloughs now coincide with the Oct. 15 deadline for extended 2024 federal tax returns.
Impacts on Tax Processing and Public Services
The National Treasury Employees Union, representing tens of thousands of IRS workers, warned of disruptions from the staff reductions. “Due to the government shutdown the American people lost access to many vital services provided by the IRS when the agency furloughed thousands of employees,” the union stated. “Expect increased wait times, backlogs and delays implementing tax law changes as the shutdown continues.”
“Taxpayers around the country will now have a much harder time getting the assistance they need, just as they get ready to file their extension returns due next week,” the statement added.
The union highlighted operational gaps, noting a “complete lack of planning” from the IRS that left employees “in the dark about their work status until their supervisor informed them today.”
“Every day these employees are locked out of work is another day of frustration for taxpayers and a growing backlog of work that sits and waits for the shutdown to end.”
Furloughed workers and those working without pay will receive backpay once funding resumes, per agency notifications reported by the Associated Press.
Union Calls for Resolution as Stalemate Persists
NTEU pressed Congress and the Trump administration to end the impasse. The union urged congressional lawmakers and the Trump administration to reach an agreement that reopens the government.
The shutdown affects an estimated 750,000 federal workers daily, with President Trump last week indicating some could face termination.
Senate Democrats, except for three, have blocked a Republican short-term funding bill maintaining pre-shutdown levels through Nov. 21. Democrats seek inclusion of pandemic-era Obamacare subsidy extensions and reversals to Medicaid payment and eligibility adjustments in any resolution.
