Former member of Congress and professional auctioneer Billy Long has been formally sworn in as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Following lengthy delays during his nomination process, Long was confirmed by the Senate on June 12.
In an agency-wide message, Long announced that he plans to transform IRS culture and make the agency more taxpayer-friendly: “In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here. I’m big on culture, and I’m anxious to develop one that makes your lives and the taxpayers’ lives better.”
Long’s swearing in as Commissioner follows an extraordinary period of turbulence at the top of the IRS. As we have previously written, the IRS has had four different acting Commissioners since President Trump was inaugurated in January. Long’s term will expire on November 12, 2027.
As IRS Commissioner, Long inherits an agency that faces significant challenges. Since January 2025, the IRS workforce has been reduced by more than 25 percent. The administration’s proposed budget for FY2026 would reduce IRS funding by 20 percent, which increases to 37 percent when taking into account decreases in supplemental funding from the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022.
Long previously as a Republican member of Congress from 2011 through 2023. Prior to his stint in Congress, Long was a real estate broker, an auctioneer, and a radio talk show host.
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