IRS expected to dismiss thousands

Internal Revenue Service is preparing to dismiss thousands of employees as soon as next week, according to three people who are familiar with the case as the Trump administration pushes to dramatically shrink the size of the federal workforce.

The Office of Personnel Management, the Federal Government’s staff department, ordered agencies across the government this week to terminate trial employees who are relatively new in their positions and do not enjoy as much job protection. It was unclear on Friday exactly how many IRS employees would be affected by the order.

An IRS speaker did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor a spokesman for the Treasury.

A sudden decrease in the number of employees on the IRS could interfere with the agency’s work of treating millions of Americans’ tax returns. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Bloomberg News last week that the department supervising the IRS would limit changes until after the tax season ends in the spring.

“So I can’t imagine that something will continue on the IRS until then or above,” he said. “We are in the middle of the tax -released season right now.”

The IRS has dramatically cultivated its workforce in recent years and reached approx. 100,000 employees after the Biden administration pushed to revive the Bægered Agency. Republicans have long attacked the extra IRS staff as villains who harass taxpayers in the middle class, with President Trump, who targets the agency of an extended hiring of freezing and pushing to reuse some of his agents to help with immigration enforcement.

Elon Musk’s team of young software engineers and cost cutters has also been interested in the agency. A member of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, Gavin Kliger, arrived at the IRS headquarters on Thursday, according to people who are familiar with the case.