Taxpayers calling the IRS for assist processing their taxes this submitting season might discover it more durable than regular to get somebody on the cellphone, consultants say, an issue that’s solely anticipated to worsen subsequent 12 months with staffing cuts that might slash the workforce significantly.
For this 12 months, knowledge of tax return processing occasions exhibits numbers largely in keeping with these from final 12 months. IRS workers concerned within the 2025 tax season weren’t allowed to simply accept a buyout provide from the Trump administration till after the taxpayer submitting deadline of April 15, although 1000’s of probationary staff had been laid off earlier this 12 months.
Authorized consultants in tax compliance say the lengthy wait occasions are going to extend as extra buyouts and layoffs take impact.
Eric Santos, the manager director of the Georgia Tax Clinic, which supplies free tax regulation providers to low-income taxpayers, says wait occasions for the IRS’ cellphone line are markedly longer than common and IRS employees are overwhelmed with the rise in work.
The IRS employees “principally inform us they don’t have time to have a look at sure instances,” Santos mentioned. “The work is getting spread across fewer and fewer people.”
The discount in staff — which can find yourself being practically half all the IRS workforce — is a part of the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink the dimensions of the federal workforce via billionaire Elon Musk’s Division of Authorities Effectivity by closing businesses, shedding practically all probationary workers who haven’t but gained civil service safety and providing buyouts to nearly all federal workers via a “deferred resignation program.”
Earlier this month, the IRS started layoffs that may find yourself chopping as many as 20,000 staffers — as much as 25% of the full workforce. The roughly 7,000 probationary IRS staff who had been laid off starting in February had been lately ordered to be reinstated by a federal choose, although it is unclear whether or not these staff have been referred to as again into work.
Evaluating figures via the primary week of April from 2024 and 2025, 101.4 million returns had been processed this 12 months in comparison with 101.8 million tax returns final 12 months. Refunds are up, with 67.7 million issued this 12 months in contrast with 66.7 million in 2024.
However Santos and others fear that the 2026 submitting season may very well be negatively impacted by the lack of 1000’s of extra tax assortment staff who’re anticipated to exit the company via deliberate layoffs and buyouts.
“I don’t see how they’re going to keep up with tax filing season next year,” Santos mentioned. “I think its a fair question to ask now.”
A Treasury spokesperson who was not approved to talk publicly and spoke to The Related Press on the situation of anonymity mentioned in an announcement that IRS staffing reductions had been a part of different enhancements the company is taking to be extra environment friendly and enhance service.
Sakinah Tillman, director of the College of the District of Columbia Tax Clinic, has not seen a delay in processing refunds this 12 months however has seen delays in reaching the IRS by cellphone.
She worries that the cellphone delays may damage shoppers going via collections who’re making an attempt to settle their money owed.
“What occurs when shoppers attempt to turn out to be compliant?” she asked. “Or when people who find themselves keen and capable of pay however they simply can’t get somebody on the cellphone?
Former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen instructed the AP that even in a standard 12 months the IRS’ responsiveness slows the additional into tax season it will get.
“Next year, if they cut 10,000 or 20,000 employees, they’re headed back to really bad taxpayer service on the phone,” he mentioned. “And the taxpayer precedence line will turn out to be an oxymoron.”
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
