Washington, D.C.—On August 8, 2025, President Trump removed Billy Long, the former auctioneer and congressman, from his position as IRS Commissioner. Mr. Long’s tenure as IRS Commissioner ended just two months after he was confirmed for the post. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, the seventh individual to lead IRS, will serve as acting commissioner until the administration finds and confirms a new commissioner. While Mr. Long had previously told tax practitioners last month that the IRS tax filing season for 2025 returns would start late next year, he then retracted this statement in a subsequent post.   
Mr. Long’s departure increases the IRS management turmoil that has rocked the agency since Danny Werfel, former President Biden’s IRS commissioner, left office in January 2025. The IRS, faced with writing the rules for and providing information about the new tax law changes, has lost more than 25,000 people since President Trump took office.