Trump Dumps IRS Chief, Again. Bessent to Fill in for Now.

Former Rep. Billy Long from Missouri is leaving his job as the head of the IRS. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

President Donald Trump dismissed Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Billy Long from his job after less than two months in the role. He will be replaced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who will serve as acting commissioner, a White House official told Barron’s.

Long, who was formerly an auctioneer and a Republican Congress member from Missouri, will next serve as the U.S. ambassador to Iceland, a White House official told Barron’s.

“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,” Long wrote on X. “I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!”

Long was slated to last through Nov. 12, 2027. After the Senate confirmed his nomination in June along party lines, with no Democratic senators supporting his appointment, he said he intended to develop a more taxpayer-friendly agency.

Long is the fifth commissioner to head the agency since Trump took office on Jan. 2o, although the previous four all served in acting roles. Gary Shapley, a longtime IRS agent, served the shortest tenure among them of just a few days in mid-April.

Long took office amid big changes to the agency, most notably the slashing of around a quarter of its more than 100,000-person workforce through a combination of dismissals, retirements, and voluntary deferred resignations.

Tax reforms set to go into effect this year with Trump’s tax and spending bill will also result in further changes at the agency as it updates tax forms and begins enforcement.

Tax filing season will start “at the customary time around MLK Day,” Long also posted to X on Friday evening.

Write to Anita Hamilton at anita.hamilton@barrons.com