Trump-style tax relief: IRS could cut up to half its workforce

The IRS may cut up to half of its workforce, offering Americans a different kind of “tax relief.”

The cuts are part of President Donald Trump’s plan to downsize the federal government, getting rid of wasteful spending and bureaucratic excess, including through the newly created Department of Government Efficiency headed by Elon Musk.

Sources within the Internal Revenue Service confirmed to the Associated Press Tuesday that a plan is in the works to eliminate as many as 45,000 employees through buyouts, attrition and layoffs. The proposal, which is due March 13, would have to be approved by the White House, which seems favorable to it.

Since Trump took office, the tax-collecting agency cut 7,000 probationary employees, who are workers with one year of experience or less. And the Department of Homeland Security has asked to borrow IRS employees to help with its immigration enforcement efforts, AP reports.