【By Chen Sijia, Observer's Net】According to a report by the New York Times in the United States, on August 8 local time, US President Trump suddenly dismissed Billy Long, the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), who had been in office for less than two months. US Treasury Secretary Becerra will temporarily take over as the IRS commissioner. In more than half a year since Trump returned to the White House, the IRS has already replaced five heads consecutively.
Long confirmed on the afternoon of August 8 local time that he would leave the IRS and was appointed as the US ambassador to Iceland by Trump. Long wrote: "I am happy to respond to his call for service and am firmly committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times are coming!"
Several informed sources told the New York Times that during his short tenure, Long often had conflicts with Treasury Secretary Becerra. Long told some colleagues that all his actions at the IRS had to be approved by Becerra. The sources added that for several weeks, officials in the Trump administration have been considering moving Long to a new position.
Informants also said that this former auctioneer and Republican congressman lacked background in tax policy and made some noticeable mistakes. For example, he recently announced that the 2026 tax filing season would start in mid-February next year. The IRS quickly retracted this statement, saying the timing was not yet determined.
However, some other people denied the rumors of conflict between Long and Becerra. Another insider insisted that Becerra had always supported Long and pushed the US Senate to confirm Long's appointment as commissioner. Trump nominated Long as the IRS commissioner in December last year, and the Senate confirmed the nomination in June this year. Long took office on June 16 local time.
On May 20, Billy Long attended a hearing before the US Senate. Visual China
The new director was removed within two months of taking office, intensifying the management turmoil that has plagued the IRS since Trump returned to the White House. The Inspector General of the US Department of the Treasury responsible for tax management stated that more than 25,000 people have left the IRS since the beginning of Trump's second term, accounting for a quarter of the total number of employees in early January. At the same time, the US Congress is also considering significantly cutting the IRS budget.
Since the beginning of this year, the IRS has repeatedly changed its leadership. After Trump took office, the IRS commissioner appointed by former President Biden, Danny Werfel, resigned, and Doug O'Donnell became acting commissioner.
However, O'Donnell soon had policy conflicts with officials in the Trump administration and stepped down in February this year. Melanie Krause took over as the new acting commissioner, but she resigned in April after the Trump administration required the IRS to share "sensitive taxpayer" data with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Trump then announced Gary Shapley as acting commissioner. However, this appointment was opposed by Becerra, so Shapley was removed a few days after taking office. Michael Faulkender, an ally of Becerra and Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, took over as acting commissioner until the Republican-controlled Senate confirmed Billy Long's nomination in June.
Some people inside the IRS had hoped that Long could restore stability to the agency, but he was removed from his position within two months of taking office. John Koskinen, who previously served as IRS commissioner during the Obama administration and the early stage of Trump's first term, said, "This sets a new record for the shortest tenure in the history of the IRS."
However, Koskinen also pointed out that Long had no tax experience or management experience, "It's indeed a challenge to put him in charge of an organization with 75,000 employees that oversees tax laws."
The IRS is an agency under the US Department of the Treasury, dedicated to tax work and enforcing revenue laws, and providing services to American taxpayers. The agency is central to the Trump administration's agenda, responsible for implementing the large-scale tax cut bill passed by the Republicans last month. Together with the Treasury Department, it is responsible for formulating rules and issuing information related to the bill, including which groups can apply for new tax deductions for tip income and overtime pay.
Former IRS officials point out that this is a daunting task, and the internal turmoil within the IRS will only make the task more difficult. Terry Lemons, a retired senior IRS official who retired this year, said: "This will have some impact on the agency's ability to carry out this major legislation. The remaining staff, can they handle such a large workload with reduced staff, and they also face the risk of further budget cuts?"
Oregon Democratic Senator Ron Wyden criticized: "Within just a few months, Trump and his team have already emptied the taxpayer service, weaponized IRS data against innocent taxpayers, and sowed the seeds of disaster for the next tax season."
A spokesperson for the US Department of the Treasury said on August 8 in a statement that they thanked Long for his "commitment to public service and the American people," and stated that they would announce the next commissioner "at the appropriate time." Long clarified when leaving that the next year's tax season in the United States would begin at the usual time.
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