President Donald Trump has removed Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Commissioner Billy Long from his post less than two months after Long’s Senate confirmation, a move that has sent ripples through Washington’s political and bureaucratic circles. The abrupt dismissal, confirmed on August 9, 2025, comes amid ongoing controversy over the Trump administration’s use of government data for immigration enforcement and sweeping cuts to the IRS workforce.
Long, a former six-term Republican congressman and auctioneer from Missouri, was tapped by Trump to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Iceland. He confirmed the new appointment in a post on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “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!” According to ABC News, Long had also sent an email to IRS staffers the day before his removal, encouraging them to leave work early on Friday, with the subject line, “It’s Almost FriYay.”
The White House and the Treasury Department have both acknowledged Long’s departure. A Treasury spokesperson thanked Long for his service and stated that “a new candidate for Commissioner will be announced at the appropriate time.” In the interim, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is slated to lead the agency, marking the sixth leadership change at the IRS in just eight months of Trump’s current term, as reported by ABC News and the Associated Press.
Long’s tenure, though brief, was marked by turbulence. He became the shortest-serving Senate-confirmed IRS commissioner since the position was established in 1862, according to the Associated Press and Newsweek. His confirmation itself had been contentious, with the Senate approving him by a 53-44 vote. Democrats voiced concerns about Long’s prior work for a firm that promoted the pandemic-era employee retention tax credit—a program that was later shut down for fraud—as well as about campaign contributions he received after Trump nominated him. Lawmakers have since called for a criminal investigation into Long’s connections to alleged tax credit fraud, alleging that firms linked to him duped investors into buying fake tax credits.
Before joining the IRS, Long had a long record in Congress from 2011 to 2023, where he notably supported legislation to abolish the tax agency he would later lead. After leaving Congress, he worked with a firm distributing the employee retention tax credit, a program ultimately shuttered by then-IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel due to widespread fraud concerns.
The events leading to Long’s dismissal highlight a deepening rift between the IRS and the Trump administration over the agency’s role in immigration enforcement. According to The Washington Post, Long’s removal followed a clash over the White House’s push to access confidential tax records in order to locate suspected undocumented immigrants. The administration, seeking to ramp up its immigration crackdown, requested information beyond previously agreed limits—including whether individuals had claimed income tax credits, which can reduce the tax bill for low-income filers. The IRS, citing taxpayer privacy rights, declined to provide the additional data. Long reportedly stated he would not share information outside the previously agreed parameters, a stance that ultimately cost him his job.
This isn’t the first time the IRS has been caught in the crosshairs of immigration policy. Earlier in 2025, IRS Commissioner Melanie Krause resigned after refusing to allow immigration enforcement access to taxpayer data. The agency had recently agreed to a deal allowing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to submit names and addresses of suspected undocumented immigrants to the IRS, which would then cross-check the data against tax filings. However, the process yielded underwhelming results: of the roughly 40,000 names submitted by the Department of Homeland Security, only about 3 percent could be verified—primarily those with individual taxpayer identification numbers.
White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson sought to downplay reports of internal discord, telling The Washington Post, “The Trump administration is working in lockstep to eliminate information silos and to prevent illegal aliens from taking advantage of benefits meant for hardworking American taxpayers. Any absurd assertion other than everyone being aligned on the mission is simply false and totally fake news.”
Meanwhile, the IRS itself has been reeling from historic workforce reductions. Under the direction of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led until recently by Elon Musk, the agency’s staff shrank from 103,000 in January 2025 to 77,000 by May, as reported by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and cited by the Associated Press and Newsweek. Most of these cuts came through DOGE’s deferred resignation program, part of the broader Trump administration effort to shrink the federal bureaucracy. Experts have warned that such drastic reductions could undermine the IRS’s ability to process tax returns, issue refunds, and maintain core tax administration functions.
The turbulence at the IRS has not gone unnoticed. The agency has cycled through multiple leaders in rapid succession, with one acting commissioner resigning over the data-sharing deal with Homeland Security and another’s appointment sparking a public feud between Elon Musk and Scott Bessent. The repeated leadership changes have left the IRS in a state of flux, raising questions about its stability and effectiveness at a time when its responsibilities—and political scrutiny—have never been greater.
As for Long, his journey from Congress to the IRS and now to a diplomatic post in Iceland encapsulates the volatile nature of public service in the Trump era. While some Republicans have praised his loyalty to the president and willingness to “advance his bold agenda,” others remain skeptical of his qualifications and track record. Democrats, for their part, continue to press for answers regarding his involvement with pandemic-era tax credits and the circumstances of his abrupt removal.
Looking ahead, the White House has yet to announce a permanent successor to Long. In the meantime, acting Commissioner Scott Bessent faces the daunting task of steering the IRS through ongoing operational challenges, workforce shortages, and the political crosswinds of an election year. Whether the agency can regain its footing—and public trust—remains to be seen.
The saga of Billy Long’s tenure as IRS commissioner serves as a stark reminder of how federal agencies can become battlegrounds for broader political and policy struggles. For the IRS, the stakes are high, and the path forward is anything but certain.
