The Internal Revenue Service on Wednesday said that it was furloughing nearly 34,000 workers, which is half of its employees, following the US government shutdown, thus making it tougher for the taxpayers to receive assistance.
What did the IRS say?
In a statement on Wednesday, the IRS said that the decision was being taken due to “lapse in appropriations” and that it will start its furlough on October 8 for “everyone except already-identified excepted and exempt employees.”
The agency added, “Employees who are not exempt or excepted are furloughed and placed in a non-pay and non-duty status until further notice; however, all employees should plan to report to work for their next tour of duty.” It also said staff would get up to four hours to finish pending tasks and receive formal furlough notices, The Guardian reported.
Due to this, only 53.6%, or about 39,870 IRS employees, will remain and continue working while the government remains under shutdown.
Furloughed employees will not be paid
In a standard furlough letter sent to affected staff, David Traynor, acting IRS human capital officer, confirmed that furloughed employees cannot work and will not be paid during the shutdown, The Guardian said. In fact, they will only receive back pay once the shutdown in the US is over.
The letter came a day after an internal draft memo hinted that the Trump administration might reconsider giving back pay to some furloughed workers.
The furloughs add to the IRS’s problems, as the agency is already struggling with major layoffs that cut its staff by about 25%, that is from around 100,000 employees to about 75,000 now. These job cuts were made after US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January.
National Treasury Employees Union condemns furlough move
The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents IRS workers, criticized the decision. Its president, Doreen Greenwald, said the government shutdown has cut off Americans from many important IRS services.
The union warned that people should expect longer wait times, growing backlogs, and delays in processing tax law changes as the shutdown continues. It added that taxpayers across the country will now find it much harder to get help, especially with extension returns due next week.