WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a stunning turn of events, thousands of IRS employees have accepted President Donald Trump’s federal buyout offer, signaling what could be the largest downsizing of government agencies in decades. With Trump’s administration pushing forward a bold plan to reshape the federal workforce, insiders say this could be just the beginning.
The buyout, described as a “deferred resignation,” was made available to over two million federal employees via email from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The deadline to accept the offer was February 6, and as of Wednesday, approximately 40,000 federal workers—around 2% of the total workforce—have already taken the deal, according to Accounting Today.
For IRS employees, however, there’s a catch. Those who accepted the buyout must continue working until May 15 to help process this year’s tax returns. Meanwhile, most other federal workers who opted in will remain on payroll through September, with administrative leave beginning as early as March 1.
The shake-up has already sent shockwaves through Washington. As members of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) arrived at the IRS headquarters to evaluate the agency’s operations, Republican leaders wasted no time reigniting calls to dismantle the tax agency altogether.
“Abolish the IRS!” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz posted on X, echoing a long-standing conservative demand.
Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley also weighed in, telling Fox News’ Laura Ingraham that Democrats are “panicking” over Trump’s efforts to shrink the government.
“They’re melting down because their power base is being threatened,” Hawley said. “I love Trump’s idea—let’s turn the Internal Revenue Service into the External Revenue Service and start making these agencies actually work for the American people.”
As Trump’s push to cut federal bureaucracy gains momentum, critics and supporters alike are bracing for what comes next. Will this mass exodus reshape Washington for good? Stay tuned.
