“Efforts to hire filing season employees were delayed due to the government shutdown and changes to the hiring process within the Department of the Treasury. Collins also noted turnover in leadership that she said has compounded the challenges that IRS employees face. TIGTA cited a growing backlog of taxpayer filings and a failure to hire and train new staff to handle tax season. For example, the Accounts Management function received permission in August 2025 to hire about 3,500 employees for this tax season, which was about four months later than the 2025 tax season, TIGTA’s memo said. “Inventory that is not worked during the current processing year will be carried into the 2026 filing season and may affect the IRS’s ability to timely process tax returns during the filing season, especially with reduced staff,” TIGTA’s memo said.