New York Times, I.R.S. Expected to Lay Off Thousands:
The Internal Revenue Service is preparing to lay off thousands of employees as soon as next week, according to three people familiar with the matter, as the Trump administration pushes to dramatically shrink the size of the federal work force.
The Office of Personnel Management, the federal government’s human resources department, ordered agencies across the government this week to terminate probationary employees, who are relatively new to their positions and do not enjoy as much job protection. It was unclear on Friday exactly how many I.R.S. employees would be affected by the order. …
The I.R.S. has dramatically grown its work force in recent years, reaching roughly 100,000 employees, after the Biden administration pushed to revitalize the beleaguered agency. …
Elon Musk’s team of young software engineers and cost-cutters have also taken an interest in the agency. A member of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, Gavin Kliger, arrived at the I.R.S. headquarters on Thursday, according to people familiar with the matter.
Washington Post, Layoffs to Hit IRS as DOGE Targets Tax Collections:
The Trump administration is expected to begin laying off thousands of employees at the Internal Revenue Service, six people briefed on the matter said, as billionaire Elon Musk’s team begins to target tax collections.
Treasury officials have discussed laying off roughly 9,000 employees still in their probationary period as part of broader dismissals across the government of recently hired workers, according to the six people who spoke on the condition of anonymity to reveal internal conversations. …
“It’s quite distressing, because the Biden administration made serious efforts to bolster enforcement. I think all of that is in jeopardy now,” said Steve Rosenthal, who served as a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank. “Stripping the IRS of resources is a windfall for those who like to game the system, and those are the most sophisticated and richest taxpayers.”
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