President Donald Trump has abruptly removed Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Billy Long, who was sworn in just this past June, and appointed Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent as the temporary head of the IRS. This marks the sixth leadership change at the agency this year under Trump’s administration, highlighting ongoing instability within the critical tax collection agency.
Long, a former Missouri congressman who served from 2011 to 2023 and was previously an auctioneer, had only recently taken the helm. Under Trump, the IRS has faced significant job cuts as part of broader government efficiency efforts led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Bessent, who oversees multiple major responsibilities including international trade negotiations with China, Canada, and Mexico, as well as assisting with the search for the next Federal Reserve chair, now adds the management of the IRS to his already demanding portfolio. The IRS operates under the Treasury Department, which declined to comment on the leadership change. The IRS also did not respond to requests for comment.
In a lighthearted gesture just one day before his removal, Long sent an email to IRS employees offering them an early 70-minute leave to celebrate his 70th birthday. This sudden change comes amid a challenging year for the agency, which continues to navigate leadership turnovers and operational cuts.
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