The deadline for federal workers to accept OPM's buyout offer was on Feb. 6, but terms of resignation are different for IRS workers during tax season.

Wes Battle has been glued to the phone at his financial-planning office in Maryland for days, endlessly fielding calls from clients, most of whom work for the federal government. They all want to know the same thing in a hurry: Is the U.S. Office of Personnel Management’s “fork in the road” offer a good deal financially?