Summary
The IRS is considering drastic workforce reduction plans that could cut up to half of its 90,000 employees through layoffs, attrition, and buyouts.
The Trump administration, working through Elon Musk’s DOGE, has already laid off 7,000 probationary (newly hired) employees and plans further reductions.
Former IRS commissioners warn that such cuts would make the agency dysfunctional: “Reducing the IRS’s resources will make our government less effective and efficient in collecting taxes Congress has imposed.”
The agency may also lend workers to the Department of Homeland Security for immigration deportation.
It’s dysfunctional now. I’ve been dealing with a problem with my 2018 return because of mistake by my preparer. I tried multiple times over a two year period to reach someone on the phone with no success. On my last attempt I got to a person after 1 hour 45 minutes on hold. I sent the requested documents in November 2024 and still haven’t received so much as an acknowledgement in the mail.
It’s on the brink of complete collapse, which is exactly where they want it so they are free to lie and cheat and steal from the people.
If you’re worried, send it certified mail and forget about it.
Here’s the kicker. The IRS won’t accept mail with a return response. You can send it and track it but you can’t be sure anyone actually received it. That happened on one of my attempts to send it via mail. It was received the second time.
It’s the 2021 return for me.
I finally got a letter saying “you goofed you calculations, we recalculated them. If you don’t contest the new amount by [DATE], we will send your return in the new amount.”
[DATE] was six months ago.
My preparer didn’t e-file and I didn’t find out until 9 months after the due date. I had paid the taxes due electronically and had all the receipts so the IRS agreed I didn’t owe them. They just wanted me to file. Five years since the first notice and I still don’t have a final status. I’m guessing a lot of people simply won’t pay or file if they cut the staffing that much.
Weird. I had to deal with them once. I remember it being very quick and painless.
Once I got in touch with someone they were helpful and professional. They’re just so understaffed you can’t speak to someone. The first three times I tried to call tye system message was basically “There is no more room in the queue. Please try again later. You will be disconnected now.” And I was.