Snapshot Report: IRS Use of Overtime in 2024 & 2025

The inspector general found that IRS overtime hours spiked amid the 2025 staffing reductions, with the Taxpayer Services employees who answer phones and process returns (contact representatives and tax examiners) logging 4.3 million hours of total overtime. The report also noted that inventory in key return-processing programs grew about 33 percent from December 2024 through December 2025 due to staff reductions and the government shutdown, while digitization efforts intended to offset staff losses fell short. Remaining employees absorbed departed colleagues' workloads at added cost.