The IRS is laying off 7,000 probationary workers this week, a move experts say will cripple efforts to pursue wealthy tax evaders and could severely impact revenue collection. Most of those affected were focused on compliance, enforcement, and customer service.
The cuts come just weeks before tax season’s peak and amid efforts by Trump adviser Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to shrink the federal workforce. Critics argue this will weaken audits on high-income earners while worsening delays for taxpayers.
With reduced funding, experts predict billions in lost revenue and a growing deficit. The IRS workers’ union has filed legal challenges, warning that enforcement efforts will now shift from corporations to small businesses, further weakening deterrence.
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