Billy Long is now officially the 51st Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. Long was confirmed by the Senate on June 12, and was sworn in a few days later on June 16, 2025.
Long told employees he plans to develop a more taxpayer-friendly agency by transforming the culture at the IRS during his tenure. “In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here. I’m big on culture, and I’m anxious to develop one that makes your lives and the taxpayers’ lives better,” Long wrote in a message to the agency.
IRS Revolving Doors
President Donald Trump announced Long’s nomination in December of 2024, even though Danny Werfel was then serving a term as IRS Commissioner that would normally run until late in 2027.
Werfel subsequently announced his resignation, effective January 20, 2025. Since Long had not yet been confirmed at that time, Werfel was replaced by Doug O’Donnell, who had served as Acting Commissioner following Werfel’s departure. O’Donnell left his position on February 28, 2025, and was replaced by then IRS Chief Operating Officer Melanie Krause. Krause announced her departure in April 2025, following the tax agency’s agreement to share immigrant tax data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Michael Faulkender joined the revolving doors at the IRS as the Acting Commissioner on April 18, 2025—he was in that position until Long stepped in.
About Billy Long
Long does not have any formal training in tax, law, or accounting, does not have a college degree, and never served in Congress on a tax writing committee. He dropped out of the University of Missouri before returning to school—this time, to an auction training program at the Missouri Auction School. He was told, he explained to Auctioneer Magazine, that it was the “Harvard of auctioneering schools.” There, he earned his Certified Auctioneer designation. Once he made the career switch to auctioneering, Long says he averaged about 200 auctions per year for 20 years. Today, he is in the National Auction Association Hall of Fame.
Before heading to D.C., Long was also a real estate broker and a radio talk show host.
Long served as a U.S. representative for Missouri’s 7th Congressional district from 2011 to 2023. He subsequently ran for the U.S. Senate in 2022 but lost in the Republican primary.
While in the House, Long served on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the Republican Steering Committee. He did not serve on any tax or finance committees. However, he was awarded the “Tax Fighter Award” by the National Tax Limitation Committee (the organization appears to no longer exist—its former website now points to a Thai gambling site).
In 2011, Long sponsored the Tax Code Termination Act, which sought to eliminate the tax code and replace it with a flat tax (the amount and terms are not laid out in the bill, but would not have eliminated payroll taxes)—the bill was officially introduced with the title “To terminate the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.”
In 2011, 2013, 2015, and 2017, Long co-sponsored bills to repeal the income tax and other taxes, abolish the IRS, and enact a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the states. That theme largely repeated itself in 2023, when Long co-sponsored legislation that would have replaced most federal taxes, including payroll and estate taxes, with a 30% tax on the cost of the goods or services purchased (a consumption tax)—the legislation would have also eliminated the IRS.
Separately, Long also co-sponsored legislation to repeal the estate tax on dozens of occasions.
Despite those earlier moves, Long told the Senate Finance Committee in May of 2025, “My unique life experience has shaped my understanding of how the government operates and the importance of fairness and integrity. I intend to use these experiences to bring transformational change to the IRS.”
Confirmation
Long was confirmed, 53-44, along party lines, with all Republicans in the Senate voting yes—all of the no votes came from Democrats. During his confirmation hearing, Democrats raised concerns about his ties to companies that promoted controversial tax credits, including a nonexistent “tribal tax credit and the employee retention tax credit (ERC).
Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance, pulled no punches at Long’s May 20 confirmation hearing, saying, “Congressman Long’s experience with tax issues came after he left Congress, when he dove headlong into the tax scam industry.” Democrats also expressed concern that Long might allow political interference from the White House at the tax agency, an issue that has been in the spotlight more since Trump threatened to revoke Harvard University’s tax-exempt status. Long has reposted social media posts critical of Harvard, Columbia, and other tax-exempt organizations.
When questioned about the issue by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Long initially suggested that he would seek legal advice to determine whether it would be appropriate for the president to direct the IRS to conduct an investigation or audit. Long replied, “I’m gonna follow the law, and if that’s the law, yes.” Warren confirmed that it was the law, reading aloud part of the statute (Section 7217), which she had sent to him in advance.
Long’s term will run through November 12, 2027.
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