How much does the US spend on the IRS (operations) a year?

$17.8 billion in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), in net outlays recorded by the Treasury for the Internal Revenue Service's operating accounts. In FY2024 it was $16.9 billion.

What share of the federal budget goes to the IRS (operations)?

0.25% of all federal outlays in FY2025 ($17.8 billion of $7.01 trillion): about $3 of every $1,000 the government spent.

How much is that per person?

About $52 per US resident in FY2025, or $48.9 million a day.

How much does the IRS (operations) cost per taxpayer?

About $110 per individual income tax return: $17.8 billion divided by the 162.8 million individual returns the IRS received in FY2025. Federal spending is paid for by all taxes and borrowing together, so this is an average, not what any one taxpayer pays; your tax receipt shows your own share.

How much has been spent on the IRS (operations) in 2026?

In FY2026 through August 2026 it spent $13.1 billion, down 18% on the same months of FY2025 ($15.9 billion). Fiscal year 2026 ended on 30 September 2026; the September statement, published in mid-October, completes it.

Has spending on the IRS (operations) gone up?

From $11.0 billion in FY2015 to $17.8 billion in FY2025, +62% in nominal dollars.

Is this the budget or actual spending?

Actual spending: outlays are what the Treasury paid out in each fiscal year. The budget Congress passes sets budget authority (what an agency may commit), which can be spent over several years, so appropriations in the news can differ from these figures.

Internal Revenue ServiceFY2025 and FY2026 to date

How much does the US spend on the IRS?

$17.8 billion in fiscal year 2025: 0.25% of all federal spending.That is about $52 per US resident, or $110 per individual tax return. In FY2026 through August 2026 it spent $13.1 billion, down 18% on the same months of FY2025 ($15.9 billion). Treasury figures for the Internal Revenue Service's operating accounts.

FY2025

$17.8B

+5% on FY2024

FY2026 to date

$13.1B

through Aug '26, -18%

Per US resident

$52

FY2025

Per tax return

$110

162.8M individual returns

By year

The IRS (operations): $11.0 billion in FY2015, $17.8 billion in FY2025

Net outlays by fiscal year (October to September), nominal dollars · FY2026* = to August 2026

Every year as a table, with the share of federal outlays

Fiscal year	Net outlays	Share of federal outlays
FY2026 to Aug '26	$13.1 billion	0.19%
FY2025	$17.8 billion	0.25%
FY2024	$16.9 billion	0.25%
FY2023	$14.4 billion	0.23%
FY2022	$13.4 billion	0.21%
FY2021	$12.8 billion	0.19%
FY2020	$11.8 billion	0.18%
FY2019	$11.4 billion	0.26%
FY2018	$11.1 billion	0.27%
FY2017	$11.1 billion	0.28%
FY2016	$11.0 billion	0.29%
FY2015	$11.0 billion	0.30%

U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 5.

By month

Largest month: September 2025, $2.0 billion

Net outlays in each month. Large one-month amounts are usually lump-sum transfers or accounting adjustments.

Monthly figures as a table

Month	Outlays in the month	Fiscal year to date
August 2026	$1.4 billion	$13.1 billion
July 2026	$1.1 billion	$11.7 billion
June 2026	$1.2 billion	$10.5 billion
May 2026	$1.2 billion	$9.4 billion
April 2026	$1.1 billion	$8.2 billion
March 2026	$1.5 billion	$7.1 billion
February 2026	$1.1 billion	$5.7 billion
January 2026	$1.1 billion	$4.6 billion
December 2025	$1.4 billion	$3.5 billion
November 2025	$1.2 billion	$2.1 billion
October 2025	$897.9 million	$897.9 million
September 2025	$2.0 billion	$17.8 billion
August 2025	$1.3 billion	$15.9 billion
July 2025	$1.4 billion	$14.6 billion
June 2025	$1.4 billion	$13.1 billion
May 2025	$1.4 billion	$11.7 billion
April 2025	$1.4 billion	$10.3 billion
March 2025	$1.9 billion	$9.0 billion
February 2025	$1.4 billion	$7.1 billion
January 2025	$1.3 billion	$5.6 billion
December 2024	$1.6 billion	$4.3 billion
November 2024	$1.4 billion	$2.8 billion
October 2024	$1.4 billion	$1.4 billion
September 2024	$2.0 billion	$16.9 billion

U.S. Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 5.

The IRS's accounts

Net outlays from the same Treasury table.

Account	FY2015	FY2025	FY2026 so far
Taxpayer services	$2.2B	$4.4B	$3.5B
Enforcement	$4.8B	$7.0B	$4.9B
Operations support	$4.0B	$6.5B	$4.6B
IRS operations (the three above)	$11.0B	$17.8B	$13.1B
All IRS lines, incl. refundable credits paid out	$128.9B	$291.0B	$260.3B

On your tax bill

Federal spending is paid for by all taxes and borrowing together, so each dollar of federal income tax is split in proportion to spending. The IRS (operations) took 0.25% of it in FY2025.

Income	Income tax	To the IRS (operations)
$40,000	$2,620	$6.67
$60,000	$5,020	$12.78
$75,000	$7,670	$19.53
$100,000	$13,170	$33.53
$150,000	$24,734	$62.97

Single filer. Tax: 2026 federal brackets after the standard deduction, no credits. Share: 0.25% of total federal outlays in FY2025. Enter your own income for every part of the budget.

What this counts

Outlays of the IRS's three main operating accounts, added together: Taxpayer Services, Enforcement and Operations Support. The Treasury's "Total--Internal Revenue Service" line is far larger because it also includes refundable tax credits (EITC, Child Tax Credit, premium tax credits) and interest on refunds, which the IRS pays out but which are not the cost of running it. Other IRS accounts are not included.

Figures are net outlays: payments made, minus any offsetting collections credited to the same accounts, as printed in the Monthly Treasury Statement. They are not adjusted for inflation.

Questions and answers

How much does the US spend on the IRS (operations) a year?: $17.8 billion in fiscal year 2025 (October 2024 to September 2025), in net outlays recorded by the Treasury for the Internal Revenue Service's operating accounts. In FY2024 it was $16.9 billion.
What share of the federal budget goes to the IRS (operations)?: 0.25% of all federal outlays in FY2025 ($17.8 billion of $7.01 trillion): about $3 of every $1,000 the government spent.
How much is that per person?: About $52 per US resident in FY2025, or $48.9 million a day.
How much does the IRS (operations) cost per taxpayer?: About $110 per individual income tax return: $17.8 billion divided by the 162.8 million individual returns the IRS received in FY2025. Federal spending is paid for by all taxes and borrowing together, so this is an average, not what any one taxpayer pays; your tax receipt shows your own share.
How much has been spent on the IRS (operations) in 2026?: In FY2026 through August 2026 it spent $13.1 billion, down 18% on the same months of FY2025 ($15.9 billion). Fiscal year 2026 ended on 30 September 2026; the September statement, published in mid-October, completes it.
Has spending on the IRS (operations) gone up?: From $11.0 billion in FY2015 to $17.8 billion in FY2025, +62% in nominal dollars.
Is this the budget or actual spending?: Actual spending: outlays are what the Treasury paid out in each fiscal year. The budget Congress passes sets budget authority (what an agency may commit), which can be spent over several years, so appropriations in the news can differ from these figures.

Sources and notes

U.S. Department of the Treasury, Monthly Treasury Statement, Table 5: Outlays of the U.S. Government, lines "Taxpayer Services" + "Enforcement" + "Operations Support", every month from March 2015 to 2026-08-31, Fiscal Data API. Public domain.
Per tax return: 162,754,810 individual income tax returns filed in FY2025, IRS Data Book Table 1-2.
Population: U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 estimates, 50 states and DC.
Tax on your bill: 2026 IRS brackets and standard deduction (Rev. Proc. 2025-32 as amended), as in our calculator.