The IRS employs about 80,000 people across the United States

The Internal Revenue Service has roughly 80,000 employees spread across regional offices, processing centers, and the headquarters in Washington, D.C. This number has fluctuated over the past decade—it was higher in the 2000s and has declined in recent years due to budget constraints and retirements. The workforce includes tax examiners, revenue agents, customer service representatives, IT specialists, and administrative staff.

The actual headcount varies slightly year to year based on Congressional appropriations and hiring freezes. The IRS publishes workforce data in its annual budget justification documents, though the exact current number depends on when you check—some positions remain unfilled due to hiring delays or budget limitations.

Key Takeaways

  • The IRS employs approximately 80,000 people, though this number has declined from historical highs in the 2000s.
  • IRS employees work in multiple job categories: revenue agents who conduct audits, customer service representatives who answer phone lines, and technical staff who maintain systems.
  • Most IRS employees work in regional processing centers or field offices rather than at the main headquarters in Washington, D.C.
  • The IRS workforce size is set by Congress through annual budget appropriations, which is why staffing levels change year to year.

Where IRS employees work

IRS employees are distributed across the country rather than concentrated in one location. The agency operates 10 regional offices, multiple processing centers in cities like Ogden, Utah and Kansas City, Missouri, and local field offices in most major metropolitan areas. The headquarters in Washington, D.C. handles policy and administration, but the bulk of the workforce processes tax returns, answers taxpayer questions, and conducts audits in the field.

Processing centers handle the physical and digital sorting of millions of tax returns each filing season. These facilities employ data entry staff, quality control reviewers, and systems operators. Field offices employ revenue agents and tax examiners who conduct audits and investigations, as well as customer service representatives who work in walk-in locations or call centers.

What different IRS job categories do

Revenue agents are the auditors you may hear about—they examine tax returns, conduct interviews with taxpayers and businesses, and investigate discrepancies. They typically have accounting or tax backgrounds and require several years of training.

Tax examiners review returns for mathematical errors, missing information, and inconsistencies. They work primarily in processing centers and handle higher volumes of returns than revenue agents, with less complex cases.

Customer service representatives answer the IRS phone lines and respond to written inquiries. These positions have high turnover because the work is repetitive and call volumes are enormous during tax season. The IRS has struggled to staff these positions adequately, which is why wait times on the phone are often long.

Criminal investigation special agents investigate tax fraud, money laundering, and other financial crimes. These are law enforcement positions requiring background checks and often prior law enforcement experience.

IT and systems staff maintain the IRS's aging computer systems, which process hundreds of millions of transactions annually. The IRS's technology infrastructure is notoriously outdated, and a significant portion of the workforce focuses on keeping legacy systems running.

How Congress controls IRS staffing levels

The IRS does not set its own workforce size. Congress appropriates a specific budget each year, and the IRS must operate within that budget. When Congress reduces IRS funding, the agency cannot hire new employees or must reduce headcount through attrition and buyouts. When funding increases, the IRS can hire more staff.

This creates a cycle: when the IRS is understaffed, phone wait times increase, audits decrease, and tax return processing slows. When funding increases, the IRS can hire and train new employees, though training takes months. The current workforce of roughly 80,000 represents a smaller agency than it was in 2010, when staffing peaked at around 94,000.

Why IRS staffing matters to taxpayers

The size of the IRS workforce directly affects how quickly your tax return is processed and whether you can reach someone by phone. When staffing is low, the IRS prioritizes processing returns that result in refunds over those that result in taxes owed. Customer service lines have wait times measured in hours rather than minutes.

Audit rates also decline when the IRS is understaffed. Fewer revenue agents means fewer audits conducted, which affects tax compliance across the economy. The IRS has stated that audit rates for high-income individuals and large corporations have fallen significantly as staffing has declined.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many IRS employees work in customer service?

The IRS does not publish a breakdown of employees by specific job category in public documents. However, customer service representatives make up a substantial portion of the workforce, particularly during tax season when the IRS hires temporary staff. The exact number varies year to year based on budget and anticipated call volume.

Do all IRS employees work full-time?

Most IRS employees are full-time, but the agency also hires seasonal and temporary workers, particularly during tax season (January through April). These temporary positions are not counted in the permanent workforce figure of 80,000.

What is the average salary for an IRS employee?

IRS salaries vary by job category and location. Entry-level customer service positions start around $30,000 to $35,000 annually, while revenue agents with experience earn $60,000 to $90,000 or more. The IRS publishes salary ranges in job postings on USAJobs.gov, the federal government's employment website.

Has the IRS been hiring recently?

The IRS has hired in recent years, but hiring has been inconsistent due to budget fluctuations. Congress increased IRS funding in 2022, which allowed the agency to begin hiring more staff after years of budget cuts. However, hiring remains slower than the rate of retirements and departures.