IRS to Furlough Nearly Half Its Staff

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) said it will Furlough nearly Half of its Workforce as "most IRS operations are closed" due to the Lapse in Funding. According to the IRS Contingency Plan Released Wednesday, out of 74,299 Employees, 39,870 would be Retained as Exempt, while 34,429 would be Furloughed.

The Plan states that Work related to Protecting Government Property and Revenue will continue, including Processing Tax Returns with Payments, maintaining Online systems and Operating Taxpayer Verification Services. Most other Operations like Taxpayer Assistance and Audits would Pause until Funding is Restored.

Employees at the IRS received an Agency-Wide email on Wednesday Morning, informing them that Staff who are Not "Excepted or Exempt" are being Furloughed effective Immediately due to the Lapse in Funding.

The Memo States that while All Employees were Receiving the Notice, some Staff are "excepted or exempt from the furlough based on their specific duties" and would receive separate Instructions from their Divisions. Unless Employees were Specifically Notified otherwise, David Traynor (R), Acting IRS Human Capital Officer wrote, "you are being furloughed beginning October 8, 2025," and are Instructed to Cease Work and enter Non-Pay, Non-Duty Status.

The email to IRS Staff also states that Furloughed Federal Workers are Legally entitled to receive Full Back Pay once Funding is Restored, citing the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019. Trump (R) has Threatened Not to give Furloughed Workers Back Pay, despite the Law.

The Rollout of the Furlough Order has been "Very Chaotic," with some Workers being left Confused over whether they were Exempted from the Furlough, given they were told before the Agency-Wide Notice and Not afterward. Sources said some Employees who had already Left, assuming they were Furloughed, were later Called Back, while others were told to "Sit Tight" as Managers awaited Clarification on who should keep Working.

It's Unclear exactly how many IRS Staffers were Furloughed, but Multiple Departments were Impacted. The White House Claims it has found a “Creative Solution” to keep the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC), Running as Funding for it Threatens to run Out during the Shutdown.

“Thankfully, President Trump and the White House have identified a creative solution to transfer resources from Section 232 tariff revenue to this critical program,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt (R) said. Leavitt continued to Place the Blame on Democrats using the Funding Fix as a way to Score Political Points.

“The Democrats are so cruel in their continual votes to shut down the government that they forced the WIC program for the most vulnerable women and children to run out this week.”










NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote! Michael H. Drucker