The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has furloughed nearly half of its staff as the federal government shutdown drags into its second week. The furlough of staff comes as several tax deadlines approach this month, including for individuals who were approved for a filing extension for their 2024 taxes. The shutdown stems from the failure of Congress to reach a funding deal for the federal government , leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers in limbo. Furloughed federal employees are