IRS to Reduce Staff by 50% at Return Processing Centers Amid Virus

The IRS is taking several new steps to address employees’ concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, including eliminating in-person visits at taxpayer assistance centers and slashing staffing numbers at return processing centers in half, according to an internal email obtained by Bloomberg Tax.

IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig in a previous email to employees announced that the agency would be expanding telework for certain employees and providing more flexibility with leave requests. The decision came shortly after the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents agency employees, criticized IRS leadership for failing to take quick enough action to protect workers from the pandemic. ...