Internal Revenue Service

The Internal Revenue Service adjusts annual contribution limits for tax-preferred retirement accounts (including 401(k), 403(b), 457 plans, the federal Thrift Savings Plan, and IRAs) each year to account for inflation.

For 2026, the elective deferral (employee contribution) limit for 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans and for the federal Thrift Savings Plan is $24,500.

For 2026, the catch-up contribution limit for workers aged 50 and older for 401(k), 403(b), and 457 plans and for the federal Thrift Savings Plan is $8,000.

For 2026, the annual contribution limit for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs) is $7,500, and the IRA catch-up contribution for people aged 50 and older includes a cost-of-living adjustment of $1,100.

As of 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) workforce was reported to be about 75,000 employees, representing a decline of approximately 25% from about 100,000 employees two years earlier.

Revenue officers at the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) are responsible for collecting delinquent taxes.

A federal tax lien filed by the Internal Revenue Service is a public record and can indicate an unpaid balance of assessment for a specified tax year.

Scammers have long impersonated Internal Revenue Service officials to threaten victims with tax investigations as a tactic to extort money or obtain personal data such as Social Security numbers, a technique used for at least a decade.

The National Governors Association is characterized as an educational organization under U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) code.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) have overlapping technological and customer-service goals.

A 2025 report from the Internal Revenue Service Office of Inspector General found that key IRS filing-season functions had lost 17% to 19% of their workforce, including an 18% reduction in fraud-detection staff and a 25% reduction in information-technology services staff.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (2025) included tax-law changes that require the Internal Revenue Service to implement new deductions for overtime and tips.

A 2025 Gallup nationwide poll found that Americans' approval ratings for six major federal agencies—FEMA, the CIA, the CDC, the FDA, the EPA and the IRS—declined compared to 2024 and were at or near their lowest levels in Gallup records dating back to 2003.

The Internal Revenue Service employed 74,299 people as of July 24, 2025, representing a decline in staffing compared with the end of 2024.

The Internal Revenue Service provides a deduction that workers may claim for cash tips and qualified overtime income for tax year 2025.

IRS Notice 2025-69 clarifies methods for determining the amount of the deduction for cash tips or qualified overtime on tax returns when a worker did not receive a separate accounting from their employer for tax year 2025.

The Internal Revenue Service is updating income tax forms and instructions for tax year 2025 to assist taxpayers in claiming deductions for tips and qualified overtime.

The Internal Revenue Service employed about 100,000 people at the end of 2024.

The Social Security Administration and the Internal Revenue Service both pursue technological improvements and customer service goals.

Federal tax claims by the Internal Revenue Service generally have priority over other creditor claims when a decedent's estate is administered.