IRS plans to reduce up to 25% of the workforce in the next round of layoffs

The IRS began a new round of layoffs on Friday beginning with the Office of Civil Rights and compliance with the agency, according to an email obtained by ABC News.

In general, the agency plans to reduce almost a quarter of its workforce with the cuts as of Friday, sources familiar with the plans said.

“This action is being taken to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the IRS according to the priorities of the agency,” according to email, which added that dismissals “will give rise to personnel cuts in multiple offices and work categories.”

The Civil Rights Office will be effectively closed by the measure, with the remaining employees moved to the main lawyer’s office, according to email.

The agency had previously prepared plans to reduce approximately 18% to 20% of the workforce of 100,000 people in mid -May.

The email sent to IRS employees on Friday said that strength reduction “will be implemented in phases” and pointed out that employees will be offered in advance incentives from next week.

The agency also recently put approximately 50 IT security employees on administrative license, according to people familiar with the movement, since the agency faces pressure to make workforce cuts and data exchange demands throughout the federal government during the tax season. The Trump Administration has said that changes in the workforce will not affect personnel who work directly to process tax statements.

However, there are concerns that layoffs can still cause delays.

“The final result: forever, it has been an absolute general rule that keeps stable things during the presentation season. Because it is delicate,” said a former IRS commissioner to ABC News. “And the idea that almost 10% of the entire IRS workforce is being fired in the middle of the presentation season is extremely risky.”

Earlier this year, more than 4,000 IRS employees accepted the deferred resignation offer of the Trump administration. The agency also triggered more than 6,600 test employees, but has been forced to restore them under judicial orders.

It is not clear if the members of these two groups of employees will be aimed at the new current reductions.

Several leaders of the Senior Agency, including the Director of Human Resources, the Interim Commissioner and the Interim General Advisor, have resigned or have been degraded since January.

The IRS and the White House did not respond to the requests for comments from ABC News.