Thousands of Internal Revenue Service workers have accepted President Donald Trump’s federal buyout offer that was extended to over 2 million federal workers.
According to USA Today, February 6 marked the deadline for federal employees to accept the buyout offer from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the Trump Administration. These buyouts, also referred to as “deferred resignation,” were emailed to over two million federal employees by the OPM.
The email sent by OPM to all federal workers included buyout options due to Trump‘s plan to downsize the majority of federal agencies through methods such as “restructurings, realignments, and reductions in force.”
As of Wednesday, around 40,000 federal employees — equating to about 2% of the federal workforce — have accepted the buyout offer, according to Accounting Today. Those who have opted to resign will continue to receive their paychecks through September.
For the IRS, employees who accepted the buyout offer have been informed that they are expected to remain on the job until May 15, because the agency considers their work essential for this year’s tax season. However, the OPM specified in its email to federal employees across all agencies that those accepting the buyout offer would continue working until February 28, after which they would be placed on paid administrative leave starting March 1.
As a result, while other federal employees can begin their paid leave on March 1, IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season will not be eligible for paid leave until after the tax filing deadline. IRS employees who cannot be placed on administrative leave until May include those holding positions in Taxpayer Services, Information Technology, and the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
In response to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) entering the building of the IRS Wednesday, Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz called for the IRS to be abolished in a post on X.
“Abolish the IRS!” Cruz wrote.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO.) told Fox News Laura Ingraham the Democrats are melting down over Trump’s plans because they’re losing their “power base.”
“They’re panicking big time Laura, because they’re their power base is being threatened,” Hawley said. “That’s what’s really going on here … you mentioned the IRS, I love it, I love Trump’s idea to get rid of the Internal Revenue Service, let’s make it the External Revenue Service. Let’s start making these agencies work for the American people.”
