Trump purge: In the middle of season as millions file taxes, IRS fires 6,700 employees, mainly auditors dealing with tax compliance issues, and faces massive backlash
6,700 employees in the middle of tax season. The move, described by critics as a «Trump purge,» has sparked backlash from lawmakers, tax professionals, and public policy experts. The majority of those dismissed were auditors and collection staff responsible for tax compliance, raising concerns about tax enforcement and refund delays.
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How many IRS employees were fired and why?
On Thursday, a government official confirmed to NewsNation that the IRS fired 6,700 probationary employees, meaning they were on a trial basis before becoming permanent staff. More than 5,000 of them were auditors and collection agents working on tax compliance issues. The Treasury Department and IRS have not provided detailed explanations for the decision, but Kevin Hassett, Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, justified the move, citing government efficiency concerns.
Hassett stated, «Our objective is to ensure that the employees we pay are productive and effective. With more than 100,000 IRS employees, some are not fully occupied. The Treasury Secretary believes 3,500 is a small number, and this can increase as IT improvements are made at the IRS.»
What does this mean for IRS tax enforcement?
The mass layoffs closely align with the number of auditors the IRS had hired under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) of 2022. The agency brought in 495 tax enforcement
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