5/19/2026
Response to TIGTA Oversight of IRS Operations and workforce Impact
The Professional Managers Association (PMA) appreciates TIGTA’s continued oversight of IRS operations and workforce impacts during this unprecedented period of organizational change. The findings in this report confirm many of the concerns PMA has consistently raised on behalf of IRS managers and frontline leaders over the past two years.
IRS managers have been navigating significant workforce reductions, deferred resignation programs, retirements, hiring limitations, and operational disruptions while continuing to meet the agency’s critical mission responsibilities. Despite a reported workforce reduction of approximately 25 percent, IRS employees and managers have continued working tirelessly to process returns, respond to taxpayer correspondence, answer phone calls, and maintain tax administration operations during periods of extraordinary strain.
PMA also notes that the IRS has historically relied on overtime as a necessary operational tool during Filing Season and other peak workload periods. For decades, overtime has been used to support timely tax return processing, taxpayer service operations, and to help address staffing shortages, hiring gaps, and unexpected surges in workload. In many cases, overtime has allowed the agency to continue meeting taxpayer needs despite resource constraints.
However, the current environment reflects a significantly different challenge due to sustained workforce reductions, increased inventories, prolonged operational uncertainty, and the loss of experienced employees through retirements and deferred resignation programs. The increase in overtime usage reflected in this report is therefore not surprising given the growing inventory levels and reduced staffing across key operational areas, particularly within Taxpayer Services. PMA has repeatedly emphasized that managers and employees are being asked to do more with fewer resources while maintaining service expectations that taxpayers depend upon.
Many managers have reported sustained pressure to balance production demands, employee morale, customer service expectations, and operational accountability simultaneously. While overtime can be an effective short-term operational support tool, PMA remains concerned that prolonged reliance on extensive overtime is not sustainable for either employees or the agency. Extended work hours over long periods can contribute to burnout, increased stress, reduced morale, and challenges maintaining work-life balance. Managers are also increasingly concerned about the long-term effects on retention, institutional knowledge, and employee wellness.
PMA is particularly concerned by findings involving excessively long reported workdays and potential violations involving employees working more than 12 hours in a single day. IRS managers are committed to ensuring employees are treated fairly, safely, and in accordance with applicable agreements and policies. Operational demands should never come at the expense of employee well-being or sound workforce management practices.
This report further highlights the broader operational consequences of workforce instability. IRS managers continue to face rising inventories, evolving priorities, increasing taxpayer expectations, and uncertainty surrounding staffing levels and organizational direction. These challenges reinforce the importance of strategic workforce planning, clear communication, adequate staffing, and meaningful engagement with managers who are responsible for implementing agency operations on the ground every day.
PMA remains committed to working constructively with IRS leadership, Treasury, Congress, and oversight stakeholders to support practical solutions that strengthen the agency’s workforce, improve operational efficiency, and ensure managers and employees have the tools and support necessary to successfully carry out the IRS mission for the American public.
Respectfully,
Kelly Reyes
Executive Director
Professional Managers Association
Kelly@promanager.org
(O) 202-793-6262
(F) 888-396-6975
