President Trump recently announced that he has stopped any future hiring of new IRS agents, emphasizing his intent to either terminate or redirect the planned workforce to border security. He also highlighted his vision of a different tax system, relying more on tariffs instead of traditional income taxes.
Key Facts:
- The original estimate of 87,000 or 88,000 potential new hires came from a 2021 Treasury Department report.
- The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, championed by President Biden, included $80 billion for IRS improvements.
- The IRS previously stated it aimed to hire up to 20,000 employees in the next two years to strengthen enforcement and service.
- President Trump issued an executive order freezing federal civilian hiring after taking office, aiming to halt new IRS staff additions.
- Former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel stepped down before Trump took office, and Billy Long has been nominated to fill that role.
The Rest of The Story:
Trump shared these comments during a speech in Nevada, stating that newly hired IRS agents might be better used at the border if they are authorized to carry firearms.
He repeated a claim made by Republicans that some new enforcement hires could be armed, though official documents did not allocate funds specifically for a large number of armed agents.
Under President Biden, additional IRS funding was approved in the Inflation Reduction Act, with billions of dollars originally intended to modernize and staff the agency.
However, House Republicans reclaimed parts of that funding in budget negotiations.
Soon after taking office, Trump signed an executive order placing a freeze on federal civilian positions.
This action put a stop to new IRS hires and also paused money from the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act.
Trump argued these measures would protect U.S. interests and support a shift away from what he calls “green new deal” programs.
Trump also proposed establishing an External Revenue Service to focus on tariffs and other trade-related income.
🚨BREAKING: President Trump has HALTED the hiring of the 88,000 new IRS agents and will either terminate all of them or move them to the border.
We are so blessed to have President Trump! pic.twitter.com/YxRlrjczen
— Bo Loudon (@BoLoudon) January 25, 2025
During the same Nevada speech, he suggested ending federal income taxes altogether and replacing them with revenue from tariffs.
Commentary:
From a conservative perspective, this is welcome news.
More IRS agents often mean more bureaucracy, which can be costly and inefficient.
Making government leaner and more modern, rather than expanding staff, keeps power in the hands of taxpayers.
With the rise of AI and emerging technologies, it makes sense to look at ways to streamline government services.
Automating back-end processes can reduce waste, allowing a smaller team to accomplish the same goals.
The Bottom Line:
President Trump’s halt on hiring IRS agents aligns with his promise to reduce government size and spending.
Whether this move sticks depends on how Congress and future administrations choose to fund the IRS and prioritize tax enforcement.
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