The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced it will furlough almost half of its employees – approximately 34,000 workers – due to the ongoing government shutdown, severely limiting taxpayer assistance. The move comes as the White House signals that affected staff may not receive back pay, despite a 2019 law ensuring automatic compensation after shutdowns.
In a statement on Wednesday, the IRS said it would begin the furlough on 8 October for all non-exempt and non-excepted employees. Those affected are placed in a non-pay and non-duty status until further notice, though they must report for their next shift to receive formal notification and up to four hours to close out work tasks.
Only 53.6% of the IRS workforce – around 39,870 employees – will remain working during the shutdown. The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) criticised the decision, warning of increased wait times, backlogs, and delays in implementing tax law changes as the filing season approaches.
Doreen Greenwald, NTEU president, said the American people have lost access to vital IRS services just as taxpayers prepare to file extension returns due next week. She noted that the furlough will make it much harder for the public to get the assistance they need.
The furlough follows a White House memo suggesting that workers may not receive back pay, contradicting the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, signed by then-President Trump. In the furlough letter, acting IRS human capital officer David Traynor stated that employees must be compensated as soon as possible after the shutdown ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates.
