The Trump administration has removed Billy Long from his role as the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) less than two months after his confirmation, marking the latest in a series of leadership changes at the tax agency. Concurrently, the administration has proposed a budget that would enact substantial funding cuts to the IRS, particularly in enforcement and operations.
Billy Long, a former U.S. representative with no prior experience in tax administration, was confirmed by the Senate in mid-June. His tenure, the shortest for a Senate-confirmed IRS commissioner, concludes as President Trump has nominated him to serve as the ambassador to Iceland. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as the interim acting commissioner.
The change in leadership comes amid proposed budget cuts that are generating concern among some analysts. According to a budget proposal for fiscal year 2026, the administration seeks to cut the IRS’s total funding by 44% compared to 2025 levels, a move that would affect enforcement and operations support. An analysis by the Tax Law Center projects that a multi-year plan would cut total funding by 54% by 2027, with a 65% cut to operations support and a 50% cut to enforcement. The administration has also overseen significant staff reductions, with the agency’s workforce reportedly shrinking by over a quarter since the beginning of 2025.
These proposed cuts arrive as the IRS is tasked with implementing a new tax law, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which was signed by President Trump in July. The new legislation is projected to add complexity to the tax code and creates new challenges for tax enforcement, tasks for which a “hollowed out” agency may struggle to provide adequate service, according to some analyses.
