President Trump has nominated Billy Long, a former congressman from Missouri, as the next commissioner of the IRS. The Senate has not yet scheduled hearings to confirm his nomination
There have been several major changes in the leadership of the IRS since the nomination was announced. The first major change was Danny Werfel, who had served as the 50th head of the tax agency since March 2023. Werfel resigned his post in January after Donald J. Trump announced the nomination of Long.
IRS Deputy Commissioner Douglas O’Donnell, a senior career IRS official, stepped into the opening as acting commissioner. It was O’Donnell’s second stint as the IRS’s interim leader, who also served from November 2022 to March 2023 during the transition from Chuck Rettig, who was Trump’s first IRS commissioner, to Danny Werfel.
However, O’Donnell’s second time as temporary IRS chief was much shorter. February 28 was his last day at the agency’s Washington, D.C., headquarters.
“The IRS has been my professional home for 38 years,” O’Donnell said in discussing his departure. “I care deeply about the institution and its people and am confident that Melanie will be an outstanding steward of the Service until a new Commissioner is confirmed.”
Third commissioner in two months: The Melanie to whom O’Donnell referred is IRS Chief Operating Officer Melanie Krause. She now will serve as acting IRS Commissioner until an agency head is officially confirmed.
Krause began her IRS career in October 2021 as the Chief Data & Analytics Officer. Since April 2024, she has been the IRS’s chief operating officer, after acting as deputy Commissioner of operations support since January of the same year.
As chief operating officer, Krause oversees operations including the Chief Financial Officer; Chief Risk Office; Facilities Management and Security Services; Human Capital Office; Office of Chief Procurement; Privacy, Governmental Liaison, and Disclosure; and Research, Applied Analytics, and Statistics (RAAS).
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Krause’s experience, along with the agency’s leadership team, “are well positioned to serve during this critical period for the nation in advance of the April tax deadline.”
