On August 8, President Donald Trump abruptly removed Billy Long from his position as Commissioner of Internal Revenue, making Long’s tenure the shortest for a Senate-confirmed commissioner in the tax agency’s 162-year history. Long, a former Missouri congressman and professional auctioneer, was confirmed by the Senate on June 12, and sworn in just days later. He is now expected to be nominated as U.S. Ambassador to Iceland.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting IRS Commissioner until a new nominee is confirmed.
Long’s removal is the latest in a series of tumultuous leadership changes at the IRS. Since January 2025, the agency has had seven different leaders, including both permanent and acting commissioners. The turnover began when Biden-appointed Commissioner Danny Werfel resigned just prior to Inauguration Day, despite having time left in his statutory term. Since then, the following individuals have served as commissioner or acting commissioner:
- Doug O’Donnell (acting; retired February 2025)
- Melanie Krause (acting; resigned April 2025)
- Gary Shapley (acting; ousted after a few days)
- Michael Faulkender (acting)
- Billy Long (confirmed June 2025; removed August 2025)
- Scott Bessent (acting; current)
The White House provided no explanation for Long’s removal as Commissioner, but the Washington Post reported that the White House and the IRS clashed over the use of tax data to help locate suspected undocumented immigrants just hours before Long’s departure was announced. The Department of Homeland Security had sent the IRS a list of 40,000 individuals suspected of being in the U.S. illegally, and asked the IRS to review its taxpayer data to verify their addresses. While the IRS was able to verify a small portion of the DHS list, it objected to an additional request from White House officials asking if any of the individuals had claimed the earned income tax credit. The IRS refused that request on the grounds that it would violate taxpayer privacy rights.
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