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Washington, D.C.—The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) today told its employees and the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) it has taken various budget-related steps that will allow it to cancel the next planned unpaid furlough day for employees—Monday, July 22. IRS employees already have undergone three such days.

“While I am concerned that this announcement comes so close to the planned furlough day, it is a positive development arising from our continuing discussions with the agency on furloughs,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. “We have been encouraging the agency, and working with it, in an effort to find savings sufficient to allow it to cancel employee furloughs,”

She added: “As we continue these discussions, we will be pressing for cancellation of the fifth and final planned furlough day, on August 30,” adding that NTEU also is pleased that the agency embraced NTEU’s recommendation to allow employees to use unscheduled leave next Monday.

Importantly, President Kelley said, the IRS will be open for business next Monday; it was closed to the public on the three furlough days.

“Dealing with tax matters is a year-round business, not just during the traditional tax-filing season,” Kelley said. “Whether you have an estate issue, want to know about filing an amended return, are dealing with the growing crime of identity theft or have any of a number of tax-related questions or issues, the IRS needs to be open for America’s taxpayers,” she said. “Closing it is not just unprecedented, it is damage caused by the foolhardy policy of sequestration.”

NTEU and the IRS remain in talks about the payment of awards earned by employees for performance in 2012. NTEU earlier had rejected the suggestion from senior IRS leaders that cancelling furlough days was contingent upon not paying performance awards. NTEU believes both objectives can be reached.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.