Particle.news
Download on the App Store
9 ARTICLES
·
2w ago

Trump Removes Billy Long as IRS Commissioner, Names Bessent Interim Head

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is serving as interim commissioner to steady an agency that has endured seven leadership changes in eight months.

Former Rep. Billy Long (R-Mo.), nominee to be commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, testifies during his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing in Dirksen building on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call/Sipa USA.
Billy Long; Rachel Maddow.
Image
Image

Overview

  • President Trump removed IRS Commissioner Billy Long and moved to nominate him as ambassador to Iceland.
  • Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent assumed the role of interim commissioner, marking the agency’s seventh leadership change this year.
  • The IRS has shed about a quarter of its staff this year following cost-cutting initiatives and buyouts that have eroded customer service and audit capacity.
  • Persistent disputes over a plan to share taxpayer information with DHS and ICE have driven legal challenges and spurred resignations among career officials.
  • Former IRS leaders and policy analysts warn that ongoing turbulence and staffing losses will undermine tax enforcement, slow services for filers and complicate implementation of new tax laws.