Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.
The Internal Revenue Service will lay 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.
Read More: IRS to fire 6,700 staff in Trump and Musk’s DOGE purge weeks before tax deadline
