The Internal Revenue Service sought and received special authority to rapidly hire 8,000 employees after internally warning that staffing shortages threatened its ability to manage the 2026 tax filing season, according to an internal memorandum obtained by NOTUS.
The request contrasts with public statements by Trump administration officials, who have repeatedly dismissed concerns about the impact of workforce reductions at the agency. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently called warnings about IRS staffing cuts "a complete fallacy," while IRS Commissioner Frank Bisignano told lawmakers in March that predictions the agency would fail because of staffing reductions were wrong.
