Donald Trump announced on December 4, 2024, that he intended to appoint former Missouri congressman Billy Long as IRS commissioner. That announcement was not an appointment: the Senate confirmed Long on June 12, 2025, and he served from June 17 until August 8, 2025, according to the IRS’s official history.
Who did Trump pick to lead the IRS?
Trump named former U.S. Representative Billy Long of Missouri as his intended choice for IRS commissioner on December 4, 2024. The announcement came before Senate review. Long represented Missouri’s 7th Congressional District from 2011 to 2023, according to the IRS.
Long’s professional background included 32 years as a real estate broker and 31 years as an auctioneer. He also hosted a radio talk show from 1999 to 2006 and was inducted into the National Auctioneers’ Association Hall of Fame, the IRS said.
Was Billy Long confirmed as IRS commissioner?
Yes. The Senate Finance Committee held a nomination hearing on May 20, 2025, then voted 14–13 on June 3 to advance his nomination. The full Senate confirmed him on June 12 by a 53–44 vote, according to contemporaneous Roll Call reporting; the IRS also records June 12 as the confirmation date.
Long was sworn in on June 16, the IRS reported in a June 23 bulletin. The IRS said his term was expected to run through November 12, 2027, but he left office well before that date.
How long was Billy Long IRS commissioner?
The IRS’s commissioner history records Long’s service from June 17 through August 8, 2025. Roll Call reported that Trump removed him on August 8 and that Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent would take on acting IRS chief responsibilities. The IRS history lists Bessent after Long.
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After his removal, Roll Call reported that Long said he was excited to take on a new role as ambassador to Iceland and was expected to be nominated. The sources cited here do not establish the eventual outcome of that separate nomination.
Why was Long’s nomination controversial?
Supporters and critics emphasized different parts of Long’s record. On June 3, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo said Long had “a clear vision to transform the IRS through systems modernization, a renewed focus on efficiency and a much-needed change in IRS culture.”
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Critics questioned Long’s tax-policy experience. Forbes reported that he had no formal training in tax, law or accounting and had not served on a congressional tax-writing committee. Those biographical points informed debate over the nomination, but do not by themselves establish how he performed as commissioner.
Democrats and other critics also questioned his work promoting employee retention tax credits. Roll Call reported that Long denied knowing that tax credits promoted by a firm with which he worked were fake. The criticism and denial should be understood as reported claims, not proof of wrongdoing.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What did Long say he wanted to change?
In a message to IRS employees published by the agency on June 23, 2025, Long said: “In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here.” Crapo’s modernization and efficiency remarks likewise describe the chairman’s case for Long’s nomination; they are not evidence that those changes were achieved.
The available official record establishes the nomination timeline, Long’s brief tenure and the arguments made for and against his selection. It does not quantify effects of his appointment on tax administration, taxpayers or IRS operations.
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