IRS: Some employees can’t take buyout until after filing deadline
A letter sent to Internal Revenue Service (IRS) employees said those involved in the 2025 tax season won’t be able to accept the buyout President Trump offered federal employees until after the taxpayer filing deadline.
The letter said critical filing season positions “in Taxpayer Services, Information Technology and the Taxpayer Advocate Service” are exempt from the Trump administration’s buyout until May 15, The Associated Press reported.
Taxpayers have until April 15 to file their taxes unless they’re granted an extension.
The buyout plan is part of the Trump administration’s goal to decrease the number of federal workers quickly.
The government had set a Thursday deadline for federal workers to decide if they wanted to take the deal. All they had to do was reply to an email and say “resign.” But a judge extended the deadline until Monday.
Employees who choose to take the deal will stop working but receive a paycheck and benefits through the end of September.
The AP noted that it’s unclear whether IRS employees who take the deal would only receive five months of pay instead or if they would get the full eight months like other federal employees who choose to leave.
In 2023, the IRS received $80 billion as part of the Inflation Reduction Act. Many of the people hired with that budget increase were taxpayer service workers, who helped answer phones and assisted auditors in collecting money from people and businesses that underreport their income.
The IRS was expected to hire thousands of people to help get the agency’s employment rate back on track. In 2023, its staffing levels were 20 percent lower than they were in 2010.
The IRS said it will be relocating workers from other areas to assist with tax filing season as the federal buyouts were expected to impact the workforce.
However, former IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig, who served under Trump’s first administration, said every facet of the agency’s operations will be “significantly impacted” by the hiring freeze.
“Fortunately, IRS employees are resilient and have considerable experience with hiring freeze operations,” he wrote in a post online. “IRS employees do their best with the limited resources and support received.”
-
CIA offers buyouts to employees: Reports
The CIA has offered buyouts to employees, according to multiple reports. CIA employees were informed they could receive eight months of pay and benefits if they leave their roles, according to The ...The Hill - 1d -
C.D.C. Site Restores Some Purged Files After ‘Gender Ideology’ Ban Outcry
Intense backlash prompted the reinstatement of some online resources. But guidelines for safe contraception and information on racial inequities in health care remain missing.The New York Times - 3d -
Millions yet to file tax returns as deadline looms
People risk a penalty, the HMRC has warned, without a reasonable excuse for delays.BBC News - 6d -
Some government employees dismayed after Musk jokes about buyout offer
After the Trump administration offered two million government employees buyouts on Tuesday, DOGE head Elon Musk joked about the offer, leaving some employees dismayed.ABC News - Jan. 29 -
DOGE: Government employees who take buyout can go on vacation or 'watch movies and chill'
President Trump’s “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE) said federal employees who take the government buyout option can take a vacation or “watch movies and chill.” “Answering the most ...The Hill - Jan. 29 -
IRS expands free tax filing program to new states: Are you eligible?
A free tax filing program from the IRS is now available in 25 states.The Hill - Jan. 26 -
3.4mn tax returns still to be filed as deadline looms
HMRC is taking a tougher line on fines, experts warnFinancial Times - Jan. 25 -
IRS Free Tax Filing System Will Include 13 More States
The Direct File system will be open to millions of taxpayers in 25 states, up from 12 last year. But it’s unclear what will happen to the program next year.The New York Times - Jan. 24 -
Rams' Matthew Stafford will 'take some time' to mull future after playoff loss to Eagles, 16th NFL season
Stafford, 36, says he has a decision to makeCBS Sports - Jan. 20 -
Why Some Believe The Switch 2 May Not Launch Until June
The Nintendo Switch 2 has finally been announced , but Nintendo's reveal trailer didn't confirm a release date for the console beyond sometime in 2025. However, some believe they've worked out ...GameSpot - Jan. 16
More from The Hill
-
Panama rejects free canal transit for US warships
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Panama rejects US claim ships can transit canal for free ...The Hill - 43m -
Zuckerberg visits White House to discuss advancing 'American tech leadership abroad': Meta
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited the White House on Thursday to discuss Meta's role in helping the Trump administration with America's international tech leadership, the company confirmed. "Mark ...The Hill - 44m -
NCAA prohibits transgender athletes in women's sports
The NCAA announced on Thursday it would no longer allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports and would limit participation to those assigned female at birth. The policy change, ...The Hill - 46m -
5 questions about DOGE's access to federal payment systems
Questions are swirling about how much access Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has to Americans’ personal data and sensitive federal payment systems. Soon after President ...The Hill - 57m -
Education Department investigating schools with transgender athletes
The Department of Education is investigating two colleges and a state athletic association for allowing transgender athletes to compete on women’s sports teams, probes in accordance with an ...The Hill - 1h
More in Politics
-
Panama rejects free canal transit for US warships
Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Panama rejects US claim ships can transit canal for free ...The Hill - 43m -
Zuckerberg visits White House to discuss advancing 'American tech leadership abroad': Meta
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg visited the White House on Thursday to discuss Meta's role in helping the Trump administration with America's international tech leadership, the company confirmed. "Mark ...The Hill - 44m -
NCAA prohibits transgender athletes in women's sports
The NCAA announced on Thursday it would no longer allow transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports and would limit participation to those assigned female at birth. The policy change, ...The Hill - 46m -
5 questions about DOGE's access to federal payment systems
Questions are swirling about how much access Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has to Americans’ personal data and sensitive federal payment systems. Soon after President ...The Hill - 57m -
More Dems join with Republicans to pass fentanyl crackdown bill
Politico - 1h