In a move that underscores the persistent instability at the Internal Revenue Service, President Donald Trump has ousted Commissioner Billy Long just 53 days after the former Missouri congressman took the helm of the tax agency. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will now serve as the acting IRS commissioner, marking the seventh person to lead the agency since the 2024 election.
Long, who was confirmed by the Senate on June 12 and formally began his term on June 16, is expected to be nominated for an ambassadorship to Iceland. In a post on the social media platform X, Long confirmed the new role, writing, “I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland.” He added a joke, referencing a recent announcement that actor Dean Cain was joining Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE): “I guess he thought I said Iceland? Oh well.”
The former congressman’s tenure was brief but fits into a larger pattern of unprecedented turnover at the IRS. According to a CNN report, the agency has churned through multiple leaders in a short period, including a Biden-appointed commissioner who resigned when Trump took office, two career officials who left after policy clashes, and another Trump appointee who was removed within days. This leadership vacuum is compounded by significant staff reductions; a July inspector general report noted the agency has lost 25% of its workforce under the Trump administration amid budget cuts and buyouts.
Long’s appointment was controversial from the start. Despite being a staunch Trump ally, he had no professional tax experience, having worked as an auctioneer before his six terms in Congress. During his time in the U.S. House, he repeatedly sponsored legislation to eliminate the very agency he was later tapped to lead. Furthermore, as reported by MSNBC, Senate Democrats had called for a criminal investigation into Long over his promotion of a pandemic-era tax credit that the IRS itself had warned was a “magnet for fraud.”
While the White House has not given an official reason for the abrupt removal, reporting suggests Long’s actions rankled senior administration officials, particularly Treasury Secretary Bessent. In an interview with NPR, Jacob Bogage of The Washington Post detailed two key decisions that reportedly led to Long’s ouster. Long had announced plans to delay the start of the next tax season by a month, a move that would negatively impact millions of Americans who rely on early refunds. He also declared he was killing a government-backed free tax-filing program, a decision the administration felt was not his to make.
Even as he was on his way out, Long maintained a casual rapport with staff. CNN obtained a staff-wide email sent by Long the day before his removal with the subject line, “It’s Almost FriYay.” In the message, signed “Call Me Billy,” he granted employees a 70-minute early departure for Friday, adding they should be “well rested for my 70th birthday on Monday.”
Long’s departure leaves the IRS facing immense challenges. The agency is tasked with implementing massive changes to the tax code, including new laws making tips and overtime tax-free, all while grappling with a depleted workforce and leadership instability. As noted by the Tax Policy Center, the administration’s plans for modernizing the agency through technology and AI remain vague, and proposed budget cuts raise further questions about its ability to maintain even basic operations, let alone implement complex new systems.
With Treasury Secretary Bessent now pulling double duty as acting commissioner, the future direction of the beleaguered tax agency remains uncertain as it navigates one of the most turbulent periods in its history.
