The Trump administration has set its sights on the Internal Revenue Service, as it continues to slash jobs from the federal workforce.
More than 6,000 IRS employees are expected to be laid off right in the thick of tax season. Many of these workers are involved in enforcing tax evasion, Business Insider reports, and some experts are concerned that will seriously handicap the agency’s ability to root out fraud.
“When you underpay and understaff the IRS, the agency doesn’t have the power or the resources it needs to go after wealthy tax evaders with their high-priced lawyers,” Vanessa Williamson, a fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center told reporters.
But it’s not just the wealthy (nor the tax cheats) who may be affected by the layoffs. Some tax professionals are concerned that these terminations could slow the agency during its busiest time of the year, and the circumstances may affect when you’ll receive your tax refund. Here’s what we know so far.
How the IRS cuts could affect tax season
Richard Pon, a certified public accountant based in San Francisco, tells USA Today that the thousands of layoffs will almost certainly have an “immediate impact” on filing season.
The cuts may leave processing centers understaffed, which may affect how quickly paper returns can be filed away. Typically, paper returns take six to eight weeks to process, but Pon says that may “double, triple, or quadruple” with less staff available. The wait for paper refund checks could also be much longer than usual. That’s why Mary Clement Evans, a certified financial planner in Pennsylvania, is advising her clients not to file by mail, she tells NBC.
You may also see longer wait times if you’re trying to reach the IRS by phone, and there’s a chance the few in-person service centers may close. The best advice most tax experts can offer right now is simple: File early.
When is the 2025 tax deadline, anyway?
Tax Day is always April 15, unless it happens to fall on a weekend or holiday. This year, April 15 is a Tuesday, so you’ll have until then to get all your paperwork in order.
How to check the status of your tax refund
The IRS has an online tool called “Where’s My Refund?” that allows taxpayers to confirm whether their return has been received, whether their refund’s been approved, and if their refund’s been sent out.
So far, refunds have been bigger this year than they were at this time last year. According to the latest IRS data, the average check in 2025 is $2,065, compared to an average of $1,741 in February 2024.
