Buckle up, folks—the IRS just hit the brakes hard, leaving taxpayers in a lurch as the government shutdown drags on.

On October 8, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service initiated a massive furlough, sending nearly half its workforce home and closing most operations, though critical tasks like tax cut implementation and filing season prep soldier on.

The federal government shutdown kicked off last week, setting the stage for this chaos at the IRS.

Shutdown triggers IRS workforce crisis

Initially, the IRS dodged the bullet with special congressional funding from 2020, keeping everyone on deck for at least five business days after the shutdown started.

But that lifeline ran out, and on October 8, the agency announced furloughs for 34,429 employees, while 39,870—roughly 53.6% of the workforce—stayed on to handle essential duties.

Most taxpayer services, like call centers, are now shuttered, leaving Americans without the support they need at a critical time.

Taxpayer services take a hit

Non-automated tax collections? Suspended. Headquarters and administrative tasks unrelated to life safety or property? Also on ice during this non-filing period.

Meanwhile, the IRS is still pushing forward with implementing President Donald Trump’s signature tax cuts, a move many conservatives see as a beacon of hope for overtaxed Americans.

Preparations for next year’s tax-filing season are also continuing, a small comfort amid the broader shutdown mess.

Union leaders sound the alarm

Doreen Greenwald, national president of the National Treasury Employees Union, didn’t mince words: “Today, due to the government shutdown, the American people lost access to many vital services provided by the IRS.”

While Greenwald’s concern for taxpayers is noted, let’s be real—government shutdowns often expose bloated bureaucracies, and perhaps this is a chance to rethink how the IRS operates with less fat to trim.

Greenwald also warned, “Expect increased wait times, backlogs and delays implementing tax law changes as the shutdown continues. Taxpayers around the country will now have a much harder time getting the assistance they need, just as they get ready to file their extension returns due next week.”

Pay concerns and political s takes

Sure, delays sting, but isn’t it time we question why so many IRS functions are deemed “non-essential” in the first place? If half the staff can be furloughed, maybe it’s a sign we’ve overbuilt this agency while hardworking folks struggle to pay their bills.

On the pay front, a White House memo hinted furloughed federal workers might not see backpay, though the IRS furlough letter cited a 2019 law under Trump ensuring compensation “on the earliest date possible” after the shutdown ends—a rare bit of good news for those affected.

Republicans are banking on Trump’s tax policies, like eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, to energize voters for next year’s midterm elections, and the IRS’s role in rolling these out remains a priority despite the furloughs. Let’s hope this shutdown doesn’t derail those much-needed reforms, because Americans deserve every break they can get against a system that often feels rigged by progressive overreach.