IRS Faces Mass Furloughs in Government Shutdown: US Treasury

The federal tax agency released a plan in the event of a government shutdown, which appears likely this weekend.

The top of a form 1040 individual income tax return is seen in a file photo. Americans are preparing for the income tax filing deadline on April, 18, 2023. Photo by Tim Boyle/Getty Images

The Internal Revenue Service may have to furlough about two-thirds of its workforce if a government shutdown is triggered by Congress, according to a plan released Thursday.

The plan released (pdf) by the U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday shows the agency anticipates that it will furlough some 60,000 employees—or about two-thirds of its staff—of the IRS if the shutdown isn’t averted. The House and Senate have until midnight on Sept. 30 to pass a bill to fund the federal government.