The U.S. IRS will furlough more than 34,000 employees beginning on Wednesday due to the government shutdown, according to an agency statement.Â
The furloughs amount to 46% of the agency’s staff. Call center employees, IT workers and most headquarters staff will be sent home, according to the statement. Employees assigned to carry out the tax and spending law that President Donald Trump signed in July will keep working.Â
The IRS is sending home the employees because the U.S. Congress and Trump failed to reach an agreement last week on government spending. Services across the government have been disrupted because of the closures.Â
The IRS said in a statement dated September 29 that it would furlough staff if the shutdown exceeded five business days. The closures began on October 1.Â
(Reporting by Courtney Rozen; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell)
