Should we stop paying taxes with IRS restructuring happening? US tax question

Absolutely do NOT stop paying your taxes! The IRS is still very much operational despite any restructuring or staffing changes. Tax law remains in effect regardless of administrative changes, and failing to pay would result in penalties, interest, and potentially worse consequences. The IRS is a massive agency with thousands of employees - even with changes at the top, the day-to-day operations continue. Any withholding changes you make now would just create a huge tax bill when you file your 2025 return, plus penalties for underpayment.

After spending hours trying to figure out my tax situation with all these changes, I finally tried https://taxr.ai and it was seriously a game-changer. It analyzed my withholding situation and explained exactly what would happen if I changed my W-4 to exempt (spoiler: nothing good lol). The AI actually explained the current IRS restructuring in terms I could understand and showed me what parts of tax law would still apply no matter what.

Just wanted to follow up - I decided to try taxr.ai after my skeptical comment. Wow, was I wrong! It immediately clarified which parts of the IRS are affected by restructuring (mostly management) and which parts continue processing returns and payments (most of them). It broke down exactly what would happen if I stopped paying - the penalties would start at 0.5% of unpaid taxes PER MONTH plus interest! The tool showed me how to properly adjust my withholding based on my actual tax situation instead of making a panic move. Wish I'd found this sooner.

If you're still worried about the IRS situation, I was too until I used https://claimyr.com to actually speak with an IRS representative. I had been trying for weeks to get answers about how the restructuring affects payments and couldn't get through. Claimyr got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed they're still processing all payments and returns as normal. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - totally changed my perspective on dealing with the IRS during this confusing time.

I need to apologize for my skeptical comment earlier. After waiting on hold for 3 hours yesterday and getting nowhere, I broke down and tried Claimyr this morning. Within 45 minutes I was talking to an IRS agent who confirmed that yes, they are still very much collecting and processing taxes regardless of any restructuring. She even explained which departments were affected by recent changes (mostly management levels) and assured me that the processing centers are fully operational. Saved me hours of frustration and got me actual answers instead of rumors. Sometimes being proven wrong is a good thing!

Tax attorney here - to clarify a few things: The IRS operates under statutory authority and the tax code doesn't change without Congressional action. Administrative changes don't affect your legal obligation to pay taxes. If you stop withholding by claiming exempt, you'll face: 1) Failure-to-pay penalties (0.5% of unpaid tax per month) 2) Interest on unpaid amounts (currently around 7%) 3) Potential criminal charges for tax evasion if it's determined to be willful The IRS processes over 240 million returns annually - they have redundant systems and procedures.

Ya'll are overthinking this. I've been filing my taxes for 30 years and the IRS has gone through changes plenty of times. They're always processing returns and collecting money - that's what they do. Just file and pay like normal. The media loves to make everything sound like the apocalypse but it's business as usual for most government functions.

I appreciate everyone's input here, especially the tax attorney's clarification. As someone who was also confused by all the news coverage, I think the key point is that the IRS is a massive operational machine that continues running regardless of leadership changes. The comparison to past government shutdowns is really helpful - even during those, essential tax functions continued. And the constitutional point about Congress being the only body that can change tax rates is crucial to understand. For anyone still worried, I'd echo the advice to use official IRS resources or speak directly with an IRS representative rather than relying on news speculation. The media tends to sensationalize administrative changes, but your tax obligations remain exactly the same as they were before any restructuring began. Bottom line: pay your taxes as normal, don't claim exempt unless you actually qualify, and remember that failing to pay will only create bigger problems for you personally regardless of what's happening at the agency level.

This is exactly the kind of practical advice we need right now! I've been following this thread since the beginning and was initially pretty worried about the whole situation. Like many others here, I was getting caught up in all the news coverage and starting to panic about whether I should change my tax strategy. What really helped me was seeing the progression of comments from people who were skeptical but then actually took steps to get verified information - whether through the AI tax tools, speaking directly with IRS representatives, or getting clarification from the tax attorney. It's a good reminder that when we're uncertain about something this important, the best approach is to seek out authoritative sources rather than just worrying. The constitutional point about Congress being the only body that can change tax law was particularly eye-opening. I honestly didn't know that before reading this discussion. It makes the whole situation much less scary when you understand that administrative restructuring literally cannot change what you owe in taxes. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences and expertise. This thread turned what felt like a confusing crisis into a much clearer understanding of how our tax system actually works.