President Trump took such a hatchet to the IRS’ workforce that it was forced to reassign higher-paid employees to do lower-paid work — but still collect their bigger salaries — the agency’s inspector general said in a new report.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration said the Trump team ushered more than 30,000 IRS employees out the door between Inauguration Day and the start of this year.
That effectively erased the massive staffing increases President Biden had implemented.
But it also left the IRS struggling to fill some core posts.
About 2,000 new employees were hired, including hundreds who’d just been granted buyouts.
Still other employees were “involuntarily detailed” to other jobs within the agency, including supervisors and high-skilled techs who make $100,000 or more, but were pressed into duty answering the phones — a job that can pay as little as $35,000.
They’re still getting paid their full salary and benefits, however, the inspector general said.
“Positions at these grade levels often include senior, supervisory, and highly specialized technical employees. However, the positions to which they are detailed are at lower GS grade levels,” the report said.
The details were initially for 120 days and were slated to end June 13, but “the majority” were extended for another 120 days, the inspector general said.
In a statement, the IRS said the shifts were part of an attempt to make this year’s tax filing season run smoothly amid the downsizing.
The agency said even with the changes to tax law from last year’s budget bill, the filing season was a success — and they even made a dent in backlogs.
“Prior-year pending inventory has been reduced by nearly 20 percent, helping taxpayers receive resolutions more quickly than in previous years. While focusing on providing the best possible experience for taxpayers and employees, the IRS continuously addresses staffing based on approved budget and demands of taxpayers,” the agency said.
Friday’s report said the IRS started this year with about 74,000 employees. That’s about where it was in 2020, the last full year under the first Trump administration.
Democrats during the Biden years pumped $80 billion into the IRS, directing it to hire tens of thousands of people to improve customer service, modernize the agency and increase audits.
The result was an agency that had about 103,000 positions in January 2025, when the handoff to Mr. Trump occurred.
He’s now stripped them all away, leaving the agency back at its 2020 levels.
All told, 31,000 employees called it quits in the first year of the Trump administration, according to the IRS’ inspector general. But the agency did hire some 2,000 new employees, including 422 who took buyouts but whom the agency determined it couldn’t stand to lose.
The result was a 28% net reduction in personnel.
Most of the workers who left took the buyouts. Some departed as part of the usual churn.
Some were among the agency’s most senior employees. Roughly 8,600 of them had 21 years or more in IRS service, and 3,300 others had between 11 and 21 years.
Forty percent of IRS employees 55 and older departed, the inspector general said.
A third of the IRS’ revenue agents and nearly a third of its tax examiners departed.
And the information technology division lost 29% of its workforce.
The chaos started at the top. The IRS had seven different people serving in the role of commissioner during 2025. And 46% of the IRS’ senior executive service — people who are just below the top presidential appointment level — bailed out during 2025.
The inspector general said the IRS has reshuffled its leadership chart to sideline career officials and give more power to administration political picks, or “noncompetitive appointments.”
The inspector general said that move could undercut the agency’s independence.
“Unlike many large federal agencies, the IRS has historically operated with very few Senate-confirmed or other politically appointed leadership positions, reflecting Congress’ belief in the importance of maintaining a stable, career-led tax administration function,” the audit concluded.
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