In a bold move that has left many scratching their heads, the IRS has announced that it will be laying off over 3,500 employees just as tax season approaches. According to an email acquired by CBS News, the Small Business/Self-Employed Division is on the cutting block, and employees will be receiving their pink slips this Thursday, just in time for a rather confusing April Fool's Day. The email, signed by SBSE commissioner Lia Colbert and deputy commissioner Maha Williams, cheekily reassures employees that these layoffs come with the silver lining of “finding themselves” during tax season. “What better time to pursue your passions than when the tax deadline is breathing down your neck?” the email read, suggesting that employees take up hobbies like extreme mountain climbing or interpretive dance instead of crunching numbers. Experts are scratching their heads, wondering if this is a new IRS initiative to reduce the number of forms filed—government-sponsored creative “soul-searching” to offset the impending tidal wave of 1099s. "Honestly, who needs more tax preparers when you can have more people exploring their inner beings while surrounded by crumpled W-2s?" one IRS employee mused. In a statement, the IRS urged those who will soon be unemployed to consider “alternative careers” such as becoming influencers for a more financially savvy world. “With all this newfound free time, we expect to see our former workers making TikToks about tax evasion—penned under the guise of ‘financial advice for people who can’t afford accountants,’” joked a source close to the organization. Tax experts have voiced concerns that this mass exodus during tax season could lead to significant delays and errors in processing returns. “Maybe we’ll finally see the IRS implementing those karaoke nights they’ve always threatened to bring back in office morale discussions,” one tax consultant quipped. Meanwhile, employees in the division are reportedly forming support groups, where they can bond over their mutual “soul-finding journeys” while sharing their favorite tax code loopholes. Perhaps they’ll start a podcast called "Tax & Zen," where they discuss how to meditate through write-offs. As the IRS prepares to shed its workforce, the rest of us can only hope that the remaining agents will be as dedicated as ever, even if they do have to spend those quiet nights contemplating the meaning of life—and why they chose a career in taxes in the first place. If nothing else, they’ll surely win the award for the world’s most interesting tax season ever.