So, you might have heard some chatter about the IRS being understaffed and struggling. The agency's chief, Frank Bisignano, says that's not the story at all. In fact, he says they're having one of their best seasons ever.
In an interview on Monday, Bisignano pushed back hard on reports of staffing shortfalls. "No staffing shortage here," he said. "You have to look at the results we've been producing."
And the results, according to him, are pretty strong. The agency has processed 120 million tax returns and issued 80 million refunds so far this season. That's up from 72 million refunds at the same point last year. Not only are there more refunds, but they're bigger—total refund amounts are up roughly 11% by dollar value.
Here's the interesting part: the IRS is doing this with fewer people. The agency currently employs around 75,000 staff, down from roughly 100,000 previously. Bisignano credits technology-driven productivity, not headcount, for the gains. He said the agency has restructured its call centers and revised performance metrics since he took over in October, which enabled faster and larger refund disbursements.
Earlier data showed the average refund hit $3,571 as of March 20, up 10.9% from $3,221 at the same point last year, with total refund payments exceeding $202 billion. Electronic filing also ticked up to 98% from 97%, which helps with faster processing.
Okay, but what about enforcement? If you have fewer people, does that mean it's easier to skip out on your taxes? Bisignano says no—technology is actually strengthening compliance. "We're going to find them," he said, referring to noncompliant taxpayers. He added that technology is improving detection and supporting higher revenue collections, and that customer service and enforcement outcomes have improved this season.
In a separate but notable update, Bisignano also talked about the Trump Accounts program. He said over 4 million children have been registered for these tax-advantaged investment accounts, which were established under President Trump's One Big, Beautiful Bill. More than 1 million families have elected the $1,000 federal seed contribution, with approximately $1 billion already disbursed.
The program offers every child born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, a federally seeded investment account. Families file Form 4547 to claim the benefit. Bisignano expects the momentum to continue. "We will see it continue through the course of the year," he said.
So, the narrative from the top is clear: the IRS is leaning into technology, getting more efficient, and delivering results. Whether you're waiting for a refund or just watching how the government operates, it's a case study in doing more with less.
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