Posted on 02/14/2025 4:32:37 PM PST by SoConPubbie
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the latest federal agency likely to face major job cuts.
According to a report from The Washington Post, the Trump administration is planning around 9,000 job cuts at the agency specifically targeting employees who are still on their probation period.
The report states:
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 these recently hired workers, according to the six people who requested anonymity to speak about internal conversations.
That number could not be immediately confirmed, and spokespeople both for the IRS and Treasury declined to comment. The cuts could start as soon as Friday.
The layoffs are likely targeting tax collection, several of the people briefed on the matter said. Indeed, associates of Musk’s team begin meeting high-ranking IRS officials about what could prove dramatic changes to the tax agency.
Gavin Kliger, a software engineer now working at the IRS, met with Ken Corbin, the IRS’s chief of taxpayer services, and Heather Maloy, the agency’s top enforcement official, during his first day at the agency’s headquarters Thursday, according to several of the people familiar with the meetings.
Members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) entered the IRS building on Thursday, triggering panic among leftists who fear a downsizing of the agency notorious for harassing millions of hardworking Americans.
Leftists Flip Out As DOGE Enters IRS Headquarters to Begin Investigating Corrupt Agency
Among those hitting the panic button was Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon, who suggested without evidence that it could lead to a delay in tax refunds.
“My office is hearing that DOGE is now at the IRS,” he wrote on X. “That means Musk’s henchmen are in a position to dig through a trove of data about every taxpayer in America.
“And if your refund is delayed, they could very well be the reason,” he added.
NEW: My office is hearing that DOGE is now at the IRS. That means Musk's henchmen are in a position to dig through a trove of data about every taxpayer in America. And if your refund is delayed, they could very well be the reason.
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 13, 2025
The changes are quite a contrast from the approach of the Biden administration.
Under the terms of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, the agency received an additional $80 billion in funding to hire another 87,000 employees.
Yet even this was not enough.
Last month, they requested another $20 billion allocation from Congress to fund the hiring of another 14,000 employees in order to harass taxpayers and investigate “discriminatory practices.”
Come on Democrats! This is your big opportunity to win back public support! Get out there and defend the IRS! That’ll rally the public behind you!
Buh bye! 😉
[NEW: My office is hearing that DOGE is now at the IRS. That means Musk’s henchmen are in a position to dig through a trove of data about every taxpayer in America. And if your refund is delayed, they could very well be the reason.
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 13, 2025]
That is absolutely a bold-faced lie. Such information is in a special application system and has very restricted access.
ALL accesses in that system are tracked. I worked at one of their secure locations over 4 decades ago.
Ron Wyden (D-Liar)
A few decades ago this was proposed. I remember one item was if you buy a new car, there was a tax. Buy a used car, then no tax.
Biden spoke about hiring 87,000 IRS agents - how many did he hire?
I know it has to be done by Congress...but they need to get rid of that 1099-k which will create millions of new forms...this is the one where if you received more than $600...you have to report it as income even though it’s NOT income...you sold some old basement tools on ebay for $700 that you paid $1000 for 20 years ago.
DOGE is auditing the IRS
That's not my experience. When you call in, leave your phone number and they'll call you back. It may take an hour or two, but they do call.
@ELON make sure to secure the guns and ammo in the armory.
CPAs
Not the CPAs I know. However, the Tax Department I work in is with a large real estate company. Our workload includes the full range of tax services for complex real estate partnerships. With our growth, we'll be at 200 entities within 12 months.
I've been preparing taxes off and on for 30 years, and I've never seen such complicated returns. The personal returns for our C-Suite have at least 75 K-1s in them. I'm finishing a 1065 for two student housing properties that includes 75 investors.
It's not just federal returns we prepare, but state, personal property, franchise, and other annual filings.
Forward (bump bump) into the past!
A low rate flat tax with no deductions except personal deduction would eliminate need for bloated IRS.
I have been the subject of “fishing” letters several times.
Every agent with whom I spoke on the phone was polite, respectful; and every inquiry/pre-audit was resolved in my favor.
No complaints!
Darksheare wrote:
“
I guess the IRS doesn’t get their army of 87,000 auditors for the population.
Now if they could undo the rule of alerting the IRS to any purchase we do over 600 bucks.
“
I read that it is $2500 this year and $600 next year, not $600 starting this year.
What law changed it from $600 to $2500 for this year?
I’d just as soon scrap the IRS and go to a flat (10%?) tax, then as tariffs come into play, scrap income taxes altogether.
And the IRS changed it to $2500 instead of $600 for this year, going to $600 next year.
What law did the IRS use? They pulled it outta their butt...
I'd say...above what the standard deduction would be. Many old folks have only SS and don't have to file....unless they get a 1099-K. So you sell off your "stuff" on ebay and have to file even though it cost more when you bought it. Dumb
The whole thing needs to be completely scrapped and brought to a simple tax code.
But then the government couldn’t embezzle money into secret projects then.
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