Washington, D.C. — Today, Congresswoman Lucy McBath (D-GA) joined Representatives Deborah Ross (NC-02) and Lloyd Doggett (TX-37) and 132 House Democrats in demanding answers from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about the agency’s decision to lay off approximately 7,000 probationary employees, particularly in compliance departments, ahead of tax season. The Members warned these mass firings could cause widespread delays, errors, and financial hardships for millions of Americans expecting timely tax processing and refunds, while also giving an opportunity for wealthy tax dodgers to get away free. The letter comes amid reports that the IRS is developing plans to cut half its workforce.

The Members are demanding that the IRS immediately provide a plan for how it will ensure timely tax processing despite its significantly reduced staff and explain the agency’s decision-making process.

“This abrupt reduction in workforce could exacerbate existing challenges faced by an already overburdened agency and threatens to undermine the IRS’ capacity to serve the American people effectively, including ensuring that taxpayers receive timely services and refunds,” the lawmakers wrote. “The Biden administration’s recent efforts to strengthen IRS enforcement capabilities have yielded significant results, including the recovery of over $1.3 billion in back taxes from wealthy tax dodgers by the end of 2024.

The lawmakers continued, “The American people deserve an IRS capable of fulfilling its dual mandate: enforcing tax laws equitably and providing timely, reliable assistance to filers. Staff reductions of this magnitude risk prolonging processing delays and increasing wait times for taxpayer support – disproportionately harming working families who rely on prompt refunds and accessible services.”

Specifically, the Members are urging answers on:

• How the IRS intends to prevent tax season disruptions after mass layoffs;
• Projected revenue loss from reduced enforcement;
• The agency’s plans for timely refunds and adequate staffing; and
• A breakdown of layoffs and resignations by specific location. 

Full text of the letter is available here.

The letter was also signed by: Representatives Alma Adams, Gabe Amo, Jake Auchincloss, Becca Balint, Nanette Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Donald Beyer, Sanford Bishop, Suzanne Bonamici, Brendan Boyle, Julia Brownley, Shontel Brown, Salud Carbajal, André Carson, Greg Casar, Sean Casten, Kathy Castor, Joaquin Castro, Judy Chu, Gilbert Cisneros, Yvette Clarke, Emanuel Cleaver, Herbert Conaway, Gerald Connolly, Jim Costa, Joe Courtney, Jason Crow, Danny Davis, Madeleine Dean, Diana DeGette, Suzan DelBene, Christopher Deluzio, Mark DeSaulnier, Maxine Dexter, Debbie Dingell, Lloyd Doggett, Sarah Elfreth, Veronica Escobar, Dwight Evans, Lizzie Fletcher, Bill Foster, Valerie Foushee, Maxwell Frost, John Garamendi, Jesús García, Robert Garcia, Sylvia Garcia, Daniel Goldman, Jimmy Gomez, Vicente Gonzalez, Al Green, Raúl Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, Chrissy Houlahan, Steny Hoyer, Val Hoyle, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Sara Jacobs, Pramila Jayapal, Henry Johnson, Julie Johnson, William Keating, Robin Kelly, Timothy Kennedy, Ro Khanna, Greg Landsman, Rick Larsen, John Larson, George Latimer, Summer Lee, Teresa Leger Fernandez, Zoe Lofgren, Stephen Lynch, Seth Magaziner, Sarah McBride, April McClain Delaney, Jennifer McClellan, Betty McCollum, James McGovern, LaMonica McIver, Gregory Meeks, Robert Menendez, Grace Meng, Kweisi Mfume, Joseph Morelle, Seth Moulton, Kevin Mullin, Jerrold Nadler, Joe Neguse, Donald Norcross, Eleanor Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Johnny Olszewski, Ilhan Omar, Frank Pallone, Jimmy Panetta, Brittany Pettersen, Chellie Pingree, Mark Pocan, Mike Quigley, Delia Ramirez, Jamie Raskin, Deborah Ross, Andrea Salinas, Linda Sánchez, Mary Gay Scanlon, Janice Schakowsky, David Scott, Robert Scott, Brad Sherman, Lateefah Simon, Adam Smith, Darren Soto, Melanie Stansbury, Greg Stanton, Marilyn Strickland, Suhas Subramanyam, Eric Swalwell, Mark Takano, Shri Thanedar, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, Jill Tokuda, Paul Tonko, Norma Torres, Ritchie Torres, Lori Trahan, Juan Vargas, Nydia Velázquez, Maxine Waters, Bonnie Watson Coleman, and Nikema Williams