Fox News Digital learned Wednesday while the Trump administration's Treasury department is squeezing the “wide range” possibilities that could streamline the Internal Revenue Service as reporting up to half of IRS staff could end.
“In line with the Trump administration's focus on efficiency and reducing deficits, the Treasury Department is considering a wide range of rationalization initiatives,” a Treasury Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Wednesday afternoon.
“The previous plans have not been approved, but modernisation is needed to keep up with the process of Americans filing taxes, including the reality that more than 90% of personal tax returns are filed electronically,” the spokesman continued. “These changes are intended to improve taxpayer customer service and ensure a smooth and successful filing season.”
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The Treasury is considering options on how to streamline agents, Fox Digital learned. (Luke Shallet/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
A Treasury spokesperson spoke to Fox News Digital in a report that up to half of the IRS' approximately 90,000 staff could be fired.
The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the country's tax agencies had drafted plans for fire as part of the Ministry of Government Efficiency's mission to audit federal agencies and remove government spending, mismanagement and fraud.
Thousands of employees from various agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. International Development Agency, and the Department of Energy, are working to help the Trump administration slimm down the federal government and restructure it with Trump's “America First” policy. The agency has terminated probation employees who have not yet achieved full-time employment with the federal government, particularly due to recent employment or being reassigned to a new role within the government.
President Donald Trump and President Scott Bescent (Getty Images)
So far, the IRS has already terminated around 7,000 probation employees.
In addition to more terminations, the Trump administration reportedly plans to reassign some IRS agents to help enforce immigration, the Associated Press reported. President Donald Trump floated to send IRS agents to the border in January after his inauguration.
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“On the first day, I immediately stopped hiring a new IRS agent,” Trump said at a rally at Circa Resort & Casino Las Vegas in January. “They hired or tried to hire 88,000 new workers to chase you. And we're creating plans to finish them all or maybe move them to the border. And I think we'll move them to the border.”
The IRS is preparing for a shake-up as the Treasury weighs the options for modernizing its agents. (J. David Ake/Applications)
“If they are allowed to carry guns, you know, they are very strong against guns, but these people are allowed to carry guns, so they will probably move them to the border,” he continued.
According to the IRS Code, 26 USCode §7608, certain special IRS agents are permitted to carry firearms as part of their duties.
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The Department of Homeland Security sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent in February requesting the IRS provide agents for immigration enforcement efforts. (Getty)
The Department of Homeland Security wrote to Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent in February, demanding that the IRS provide agents for use in immigration and customs enforcement efforts.
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DHS secretary Christie Noem, who signed the letter, said Trump has directed her agency to “take all appropriate measures to secure southern borders and supplement the personnel available to enforce US immigration laws.”
The Trump administration is reportedly planning to reassign some IRS agents to help immigration enforcement. (New York Post/Mega's James Breeden)
The Treasury's efforts to streamline the IRS will come during tax season, with the federal government expecting individual American income tax returns to be filed by April 15th.
Greg Wehner of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
