The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced it will furlough nearly half of its employees—approximately 34,000 workers—due to the ongoing government shutdown, significantly reducing taxpayer assistance.
In a statement on Wednesday, the IRS said the furlough would begin on 8 October for all non-exempt staff, leaving only 53.6% of its workforce, or 39,870 employees, operational. Furloughed workers are placed in a non-pay, non-duty status until further notice.
David Traynor, acting IRS human capital officer, confirmed in a standard furlough letter that affected employees cannot work and will not be paid during the shutdown. The National Treasury Employees Union condemned the decision, warning of increased wait times, backlogs, and delays in implementing tax law changes.
The move follows a White House memo suggesting furloughed workers may not receive back pay, despite the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act of 2019, signed by former President Trump, which guarantees automatic back pay after shutdowns end. Traynor's letter noted that compensation must be provided as soon as possible after the lapse ends.
