President Trump has signaled his intention to replace current Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Danny Werfel with Missouri representative Billy Long.
Mr. Werfel was confirmed by the U.S. Senate as the 50th IRS commissioner on March 9, 2023. Werfel is a longtime civil servant, having worked more than 15 years in federal government under Republican and Democratic presidents. While his term as IRS commissioner is set to expire in March of 2027, President Trump has noted on social media that he will appoint Long to lead the agency after the inauguration. Werfel has confirmed he plans to step down soon.
Historically, selections for IRS Commissioners are made as their terms expire, not with each new incoming administration. Former President Biden did not replace Charles Rettig, the commissioner confirmed during President Trump’s first term, until his term expired. The nominee for IRS Commission must be confirmed by the Senate.
The job of the IRS Commissioner is extensive and far-reaching. Tasked with serving taxpayers and enforcing the tax code, the IRS Commissioner sets the agenda and strategy for the agency. The IRS Commissioner directly supervises a number of IRS personnel and regularly updates on IRS objectives. The IRS Commissioner oversees the collection of an estimated $4.1 trillion each year in taxes and manages approximately 85,000 employees with an annual budget of about $12 billion.
President Trump’s choice for IRS Commissioner, Long is a former auctioneer who resides in Southwest Missouri. While Long did not complete college, he successfully ran for and served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2011 to 2023. During that time, Long participated in legislation aimed at limiting the reach of the IRS, including the elimination of the estate tax. After an unsuccessful Senate run in 2022, Long marketed his tax services to American business owners interested in the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC). The IRS continues to investigate vendors and their clients who may have filed for and received ERCs for which they were ineligible.
If confirmed as IRS Commissioner, Long may shift the enforcement energies of the IRS away from its current focus on tax crime and long-due tax debt owed by high-asset taxpayers. The move would be welcome to those who have found themselves in the focus of the IRS in the last few years of the Biden administration.
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From offices in Cleveland and Chicago, our tax group is focused on civil and criminal defense of business owners and individuals pursued by the IRS and those with compliance concerns. When you have tax questions, call 440-250-9709 or contact us online today.
