The IRS said late last week that it has halted plans to slash its workforce to 60,000, down from a headcount of about 100,000 at the beginning of the year.
Under President Trump, about 26,000 workers have been eliminated through incentives and layoffs, but the tax agency now says it may have cut too aggressively. “IRS has identified areas where staffing reductions created a potential gap in mission critical expertise,” the acting human capital officer said in an email last week, per Government Executive.
Some planned layoffs have been terminated, and the agency may rehire some of the workers it lost. According to Axios, workers who have resigned but are still being paid have been told they can return to the agency without penalty.
Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, told Axios that the administration’s effort to slash the IRS was chaotic and proceeded without an overall plan. “They realize that they're getting rid of people that they actually really need,” he said.