Trump plans to dismiss IRS commissioner: U.S. media

WASHINGTON, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- U.S. media reported on Friday that President Donald Trump plans to remove Billy Long, the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), who has been in office for only two months. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will serve as acting IRS Commissioner.

The New York Times reported that Long is expected to be nominated for an ambassadorial position, citing four people familiar with the matter. It is currently unclear who will take over the IRS. A senior government official said that Bessent will serve as acting IRS Commissioner until a successor is in place.

The report also noted that Long has little background in tax policy. While he was a congressman, he supported legislation calling for the complete abolition of the IRS.

Bessent and Long had clashed at times, the report said, quoting three people familiar with the decision. "Mr. Long had remarked to some colleagues that he had to ask Mr. Bessent for permission for everything he did at the IRS, two of the people said," the report said, adding that others said Long had at times appeared to "get out ahead of" the IRS and Treasury Department.

The Hill reported that since Trump began his second term, Long has been the fifth individual to lead the IRS, with four others serving in an acting capacity before him.

The Hill report also noted that he is a staunch ally of Trump but has faced criticism from Democrats due to his lack of experience and background in tax policy.

The IRS is an agency under the Treasury Department. Since the Trump administration took office, it has carried out significant layoffs across many federal departments, with the IRS being one of the key targets. A Treasury spokesperson said in May that out of approximately 100,000 IRS employees, over 20,000 have already left the agency.