So far, IRS upheaval has not tripped up tax filing and refund issuance, tax pros say
CNN
The Internal Revenue Service has been in a state of turmoil ever since members of the Department of Government Efficiency embedded in the agency during tax filing season — aka the IRS’ busiest time of the year.
The Internal Revenue Service has been in a state of turmoil ever since members of the Department of Government Efficiency embedded in the agency during tax filing season — aka the IRS’ busiest time of the year. But so far at least, the upheaval has not tripped up tax filing and refund issuance, tax professionals told CNN. But it has delayed other critical issues for taxpayers and may end up hurting US coffers. In the past seven weeks key top executives have left the IRS, including Commissioner Danny Werfel and the acting commissioner who replaced him. Roughly 6,700 probationary employees were fired in February (although they may soon get their jobs back as a result of a federal judge’s preliminary injunction Thursday). Close to 5,000 more employees accepted the so-called deferred resignation offer from the Trump administration, and about 6,800 more employees may be laid off in May, according to a draft plan for a reduction in force. On top of personnel turnover, agency alums had worried that tax filing season, which officially runs from January 27 through April 15, could be disrupted by DOGE’s efforts to get unprecedented access to IRS data systems. But based on CNN’s discussions with certified public accountants and enrolled agents, it appears that the electronic filing process has been running well so far. Tax professionals said they’ve been able to get through to the IRS with questions, submit clients’ returns electronically, and obtain those clients’ refunds in a timely manner.
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