Overview
- Government data show fiscal 2025 enforcement revenue fell about 5%—nearly $5 billion—and the IRS opened more than 120,000 fewer audits.
- Treasury says enforcement collections rose 12% in the first five months of fiscal 2026, a pickup that may reflect cases moving through a years-long pipeline.
- The agency’s workforce shrank from roughly 103,000 to about 74,000 in 2025, and its enforcement division is slated to lose another 5,000 jobs this year.
- IRS chief Frank Bisignano said he will bring senators a plan to cut the unpaid “tax gap” and he is steering limited staff toward AI- and analytics-driven targeting.
- Enforcement resources have been pared back to $3.8 billion after rescissions, and the president’s 2027 budget request seeks an 18% reduction from 2026 levels.