WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS will lay off roughly 7,000 workers in Washington and around the country beginning Thursday, a person familiar with the plans told The Associated Press.

The Internal Revenue Service will lay off 6,700 workers in Washington, D.C., and around the U.S. beginning Thursday, a government official told NewsNation. As of May 2024, the agency had more than 94,

Thousands of IRS employees around the country reported to work Thursday prepared for an email announcement that they were being placed on leave.

The IRS will lay off thousands of probationary workers in the middle of tax season, according to two sources familiar with the agency’s plans, and cuts could come as soon as next week.

Some collections and audits are likely to be paused, and one-on-one personal service is set to be more limited.