IRS Commissioner Billy Long replaced after less than two months
The Trump administration is replacing IRS Commissioner Billy Long, less than two months after the former Missouri Congressman took over at the agency. It’s the latest in a string of IRS management shakeups.
A White House spokesman confirmed Long’s ouster, which was first reported by the New York Times. The administration did not offer an immediate explanation for the move, which took IRS staffers by surprise.
For the time being, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner. The IRS churned through four acting commissioners in the early months of the Trump administration before Long was confirmed to the post in mid-June.
Long, who served six terms in the House of Representatives, is an auctioneer with little experience in tax administration.
The move to replace him continues a tumultuous time at the agency, which has laid off thousands of staffers, including nearly than a third of its auditors.
The tax collection agency also struck a controversial deal to share confidential taxpayer information with immigration officials searching for people who are living in the country illegally.
The IRS is currently gearing up to implement the sweeping changes to tax law in the recently-passed GOP budget bill.
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