Workforce
Arbitrator restores telework for IRS workers
The Internal Revenue Service withdrew from participating in the National Treasury Employees Union’s grievance against the agency for its 2025 return-to-office push in March, forcing independent arbitrator Christopher Shulman to conduct proceedings with management in absentia.
Oversight
IRS missed hiring goals for 2026 tax season, which watchdog says impacted service performance
The tax agency temporarily reassigned hundreds of employees to cover the gaps in staffing.
Workforce
Union accuses Treasury and HHS of neglecting telework requests from employees with disabilities
The lawsuit highlights federal employees who have been waiting for more than a year to hear back about their reasonable accommodation requests as well as individuals whose need to telework ended before the agency responded.
Workforce
IRS agrees to stop stealing workers’ pro-union decorations
The National Treasury Employees Union sued the agency earlier this month after multiple instances in which management confiscated and disposed of flyers and other decorations from employees’ workstations and communal bulletin boards.
Oversight
Despite taxing year, IRS watchdog reports mostly smooth filing season
The Taxpayer Advocate Service did, however, find that staff cuts made it more difficult for taxpayers who needed assistance to access it.
Workforce
NTEU sues IRS over destruction of employees’ pro-union decorations
The Internal Revenue Service last month issued a directive barring employees from posting flyers and other decorations related to the National Treasury Employees Union, which the union says violates the First Amendment.
Management
Bipartisan IRS whistleblower reform bill gains momentum in Senate after House approval
The IRS said that it has collected around $7.5 billion due to whistleblowers since 2007.
Oversight
The number of feds in tax debt spiked during the pandemic
Around 215,000 federal employees are behind on their tax bills, IG finds.
Management
House votes to make IRS publish call metrics online
The bill would require the tax agency to release detailed, real time and monthly call metrics. The House also passed a technology proposal meant to move the IRS off paper.
Management
IRS whistleblower program set for possible overhaul after bipartisan House vote
The measure would reshape how claims move through the system, how court reviews are handled and how payments are ultimately made. Over its history, the program has recovered about $7.5 billion.
Tech
IRS lacks transparent plans to leverage tech in the face of staffing cuts, GAO and employees say
Agency leaders are “shoving AI at us,” one IRS employee said, despite the fact that “they don’t have the right tools for us yet.”
Management
Staff cuts, new rules and reassignments: IRS nears finish line for tax season marked by upheaval
The head of the IRS has argued that despite the workforce reductions there is “no staffing shortage here.”
Management
IRS can’t fully verify in-person work compliance, IG says
The agency identified just 30 employees out of compliance with its return-to-office directive, even as investigators cited gaps in how compliance is verified.
Tech
The IRS wants to shrink its workforce by nearly 4,000 — and use technology to make up the difference
“Without modernization, the IRS would be unable to sustain performance with a reduced headcount,” the budget document says.
Tech
Cuts hit CISA, NIST and IRS in Trump’s FY27 budget
The proposal shifts funding away from cybersecurity, standards and tax enforcement while boosting AI, quantum research and VA modernization.
Tech
IRS’ move away from paper checks has delayed tax refunds for nearly 1.5 million Americans
Other government agencies are also moving away from paper checks. The Social Security Administration has warned claimants still receiving their benefits via paper checks that their benefits could be disrupted.
Tech
IRS faces AI skills gaps after pushing tech talent out, watchdog finds
The agency drained about 40% of its IT staff last year, GAO said.
Oversight
Watchdog warns of challenges as IRS handles first tax season after Trump staffing cuts
The Government Accountability Office also reported that the tax agency has reversed some of its losses due to the deferred resignation program.
Workforce
After shedding 25,000 employees, IRS chief says his agency now has perfect staffing level
The tax agency’s CEO criticized his predecessors for staffing up without justification, though he noted he has not conducted workforce analysis either.
Workforce