The move that could squeeze resources at the tax-collecting agency during the critical tax-filing season, two people familiar with the matter said.

President Donald Trump on Thursday threw his support behind the Department of Government Efficiency investigation into alleged fraud and waste at the Internal Revenue Service. Trump has long railed against the IRS,

The IRS began processing tax returns on Jan. 27 and says the number of returns are down compared to this time last year, but average refund amounts are up.

On Friday, the IRS released its second week of statistics comparing Feb. 9, 2024, and Feb. 7, 2025. The IRS has processed 23.5 million federal income tax returns, down by 7.6% from the 25.4 million it processed early February of last year.

There are three status updates which the taxpayer might see: “received return,” “refund approved,” or “refund sent.” If the refund has been sent, it could be up to 5 days before the money shows up in your bank account or a few weeks before your check has been received.