President Donald Trump removed Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Billy Long from his position less than two months after the U.S. Senate confirmed him, The Associated Press reports. Long’s removal was in preparation to take on a new role in the Trump administration.
“It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on my new role as the Ambassador to Iceland. I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!” he wrote on his official X account.
In the meantime, Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent will serve as acting commissioner. It’s unclear why the Trump administration made the move to switch Long’s role.
Before his confirmation to run the IRS, Long served as a U.S. congressman from Missouri from 2011 to 2023.
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Turnover at IRS leadership
Before Long officially became head of the IRS in June, four different acting commissioners temporarily led the agency. Long became the fifth person to lead the IRS in 2025, taking over for Michael Faulkender, who had been temporarily in charge while also holding a top role in the Treasury Department.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) also cut about 25% of the IRS’s staff in the months after President Trump took office for a second term.
Sen. Wyden criticizes Trump administration
Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., questioned the president’s picks to run the agency.
“In just a handful of months, Trump and his crew have already gutted taxpayer service, weaponized IRS data against innocent taxpayers and set us up for disaster when next year’s filing season comes around. This is what Trump does — pick incompetent, unserious people for serious jobs, and sit back as the damage piles up,” Wyden said, as reported by The New York Times.
Wyden also wrote on X: “Long out = long overdue.”
The IRS has not commented on Long’s departure.
