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US President Donald Trump has sacked Billy Long, the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, after less than two months in the job, a White House official has said.
The abrupt removal of the chief of the US government’s tax collection and enforcement agency on Friday caps a period of extraordinary turmoil and turnover at the IRS.
Since the start of Trump’s second term in January there have been four acting commissioners at the IRS prior to the start of Long’s tenure in June.
Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, will now become acting commissioner of the IRS.
The Treasury department oversees the tax agency so Long was already reporting to Bessent prior to his removal.
Long said in a post on X on Friday that he had been tapped to be US ambassador to Iceland:
“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!”
The New York Times first reported Trump was planning to remove Long, who was a former auctioneer, property agent and member of Congress before he took up the post at the IRS. The White House and Treasury did not explain why the president wanted him out of the tax service.
A Treasury spokesperson said in a statement: “His zeal and enthusiasm to bring a fresh perspective to the Federal Government was evident in both the House of Representatives and as part of the Trump Administration. A new candidate for Commissioner will be announced at the appropriate time.”
The IRS has shed about a quarter of its workforce since Trump’s second term began as the White House moved rapidly to slash the size of government agencies.
The dismissals of IRS staff this year stands in contrast to a boost in funding that former president Joe Biden enacted during his time in office in order to increase the agency’s capacity to audit wealthy taxpayers.
Long had recently placed two top IRS officials on administrative leave, said one person familiar with the matter.
The New York Times on Thursday reported that Long sent an email to staff telling them they could leave work early on Friday. “Please enjoy a 70-minute early exit tomorrow. That way you’ll be rested for my 70th birthday on Monday!”