A new report claims that the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) may cut its 90,000-person workforce in half as President Donald Trump’s administration continues to eliminate waste, decrease spending, and reduce the size of the federal government.
According to The Associated Press, two sources familiar with the matter said the IRS is developing plans to cut up to half of its staffing through a combination of layoffs, incentivized buyouts, and attrition. The outlet noted that the sources anonymously reported about the matter since they were not authorized to reveal the agency’s potential plans.
The Associated Press reported that the anticipated layoffs at the IRS are part of the Trump administration’s plan to reduce the size of the federal government, which is being executed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
In addition to the reports of major job cuts at the IRS, the Trump administration laid off approximately 7,000 probationary employees at the agency last month, according to The Associated Press.
The Associated Press also reported that the Trump administration is planning to allow IRS staff members to be used by the Department of Homeland Security for immigration enforcement.
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In a letter obtained by Fox News, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem requested that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent provide IRS workers to help the Department of Homeland Security enforce U.S. immigration laws.
The letter stated, “It is DHS’s understanding that the Department of Treasury has qualified law enforcement personnel available to assist with immigration enforcement, especially in light of recent increases to the Internal Revenue Service’s work force and budget.”
According to The New York Times, DOGE staff members Sam Crocos and Gavin Kliner have been coordinating with the Trump administration to access IRS databases and other records at the agency as DOGE has been reviewing the IRS over the past few weeks.
Addressing reports of the Trump administration’s plan to potentially implement major staff cuts at the IRS, former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen warned that cutting tens of thousands of staff members would cause the IRS to be “dysfunctional,” according to The Associated Press.
In a recent opinion piece in The New York Times, Koskinen and six other former IRS commissioners stated, “Aggressive reductions in the I.R.S.’s resources will only render our government less effective and less efficient in collecting the taxes Congress has imposed.”
Source: American Military News