10/10/2025
The IRS announced late yesterday that, due to the lapse in federal appropriations, most IRS operations have been suspended effective October 8, 2025. A furlough for 34K of its' 74K employees is now in place.
During this period, many IRS services and communications will be delayed or unavailable until funding is restored and normal operations resume.
As the October 15th tax filing deadline approaches, employees note that "tax returns will be arriving, but no one will be there to process them" and described "lots of confusion" on Wednesday morning as employees were notified of their status. Some were notified by recorded messages telling them they were furloughed, followed by phone calls from managers telling them to ignore that message.
What this means for taxpayers and practitioners:
• Expect delays in IRS responses, including notices, correspondence, and phone support. Sure, there were already delays - they just now are getting caught up processing some problems from the Covid years - but expect MORE delays for any issues.
• Online systems such as e-Services, Transcript Delivery, and PTIN renewal may remain accessible, but support functions will be limited. They only answer the phone less than half the time anyway, so will we even notice a difference?
• Taxpayer inquiries and case resolutions will likely experience significant slowdowns.
You can still pay any taxes due at irs.gov/direct pay. They will always take your money.
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