May 21 (UPI) — The Internal Revenue Service says it will start calling staffers back to work in less than two weeks, after most have been idle or telecommuting since March due to coronavirus restrictions.
IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig said the agency will begin recalling employees on June 1.
The recall will start with employees in Kentucky, Texas and Utah who are not telecommuting. Rettig said the return will only include employees in states that have relaxed COVID-19 restrictions.
In locations where firmer restrictions remain, he said managers will “assess the need for volunteers to return to the office to perform mission-critical, non-portable work.”
“With employee and taxpayer safety as our primary focus, the IRS continues to carefully monitor and evaluate our readiness to open our facilities for expanded operations,” Rettig said Tuesday.
The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents IRS workers, said 9,000 employees in Texas, Kentucky and Utah are telecommuting and 11,000 could be affected by the recall.
“We are also aware of the growing taxpayer needs and an expanding backlog of work at our campus and office locations,” Rettig added. “We will continue to balance these urgent tax administration needs while doing everything possible to protect you and your colleagues.”
The IRS has pushed back this year’s tax filing deadline to July 15.
