Amid the ongoing federal government shutdown, the IRS said “most” of its operations are closed. “Due to the lapse in appropriations, most IRS operations are closed. An IRS-wide furlough began on October 8, 2025, for everyone except already-identified excepted and exempt employees,” the IRS stated. “Employee who are not exempt or excepted are furloughed and placed in a non-pay and non-duty status until further notice; however, all employees should plan to report to work for their next tour of duty. Employees will be given up to four hours to close out work requirements and receive formal furlough notification,” it added. JUST IN – IRS to furlough nearly half of its workforce as part of ongoing government shutdown — AP — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) October 8, 2025 More from Federal News Network: The IRS, in updated contingency plans it posted Wednesday afternoon, plans to keep 53% of its employees working, as the shutdown enters its second week. A majority of them work in public-facing taxpayer services positions. The IRS, which is preparing for next year’s filing season, kept all its employees on the job for the first five business days of the shutdown. But its initial contingency plans didn’t specify what would happen if a lapse in funding extended beyond Oct. 7. “Taxpayers around the country will now have a much harder time getting the assistance they need, just as they get ready to file their extension returns due next week,” National Treasury Employees Union President Doreen Greenwald said, according to the New York Post. “Every day these employees are locked out of work is another day of frustration for taxpayers and a growing backlog of work that sits and waits for the shutdown to end,” Greenwald continued. IRS to furlough nearly half its workforce over government shutdown — days before extended deadline for filing taxes https://t.co/B9s0nRGmK0 pic.twitter.com/W3xZiaIWqX — New York Post (@nypost) October 8, 2025 The New York Post shared further info: She urged the Trump administration and Congress to “reach an agreement that reopens government and restores the services that Americans need and deserve.” The notice to workers states that furloughed workers and those who remain on the job will receive back pay once the shutdown ends. This is notable since the Republican administration on Tuesday warned of no guaranteed back pay for federal workers affected by a government shutdown. Last week, Trump said roughly 750,000 federal workers nationwide were expected to be furloughed across agencies, with some potentially fired by his administration. Representatives from the IRS, the Treasury and the White House did not comment on the furlough plans. Earlier this year the IRS embarked on mass layoffs, spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency, affecting tens of thousands of workers. At the end of 2024, the agency employed roughly 100,000 workers — and currently that hovers around 75,000.