United States of America

IRS Furloughs Over 34,000 Workers as Government Shutdown Continues

Published OCT 9 2025

Story

Above: The Internal Revenue Service building in Washington, D.C., on May 18, 2025. Image credit: Wesley Lapointe/Washington Post/Getty Images

The Facts

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced that it will furlough nearly half of its workforce as a result of the partial government shutdown in Washington, D.C., which entered its second week on Wednesday.
The Guardian
FOX News
Forbes on Youtube
Under the agency’s Lapsed Appropriations Contingency Plan, 39,870 IRS employees, equivalent to 53.6% of staff, will remain on duty during the shutdown, with the majority, 24,470, working for the IRS's Taxpayer Services.
U.S. Department of the Treasury
The remaining non-exempt employees will be placed in non-pay, non-duty status until further notice and given up to four hours to complete work assignments after receiving formal furlough notification. Subsequently, they will no longer be allowed to perform their workplace duties.
IRS
IRS
The IRS stated it took the action due to a "lapse in appropriations," which will force the federal agency to close most operations, including the Taxpayer Advocate Service, which assists taxpayers struggling with IRS-related tax problems.
IRS
IRS
IRS
The timing of the furloughs coincides with the Oct. 15 deadline for Americans who secured extensions to file their 2024 federal tax returns, which the National Treasury Employees Union claimed will complicate the process for those taxpayers.
New York Post
NBC
NTEU
The IRS notified affected workers that they would receive back pay at “the earliest date possible after the lapse ends.” Axios, however, exclusively reported that the Trump administration had drafted a memorandum suggesting that this compensation is not guaranteed.
IRS
Axios

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Despite the shutdown, the IRS will maintain orderly operations with clear procedures for furloughed employees. Workers will receive proper notification, access to personal records and comprehensive support, including counseling services. The agency will provide all the necessary details and resources to help employees navigate this temporary situation professionally.

IRS

Government-critical narrative

This shutdown devastates taxpayers who desperately require the IRS’s services ahead of the deadline for extension returns. Instead, they will face countless delays, backlogs and wait times, while thousands of dedicated public servants face crippling uncertainty. The administration must reach a funding agreement with Congress to resolve this crisis that treats citizens and workers alike shamefully.

NTEU