If you thought the IRS leadership carousel couldn’t spin any faster, hold onto your W-2s. In the last six months, the agency has seen six, seis, sechs commissioners come and go — averaging just shy of one per month. (I've heard of common colds lasting longer than that!) Staff cuts have gutted over 25,000 positions, internal priorities change weekly, and Washington whispers are starting to sound more like gossip blogs than policy briefings.

Billy Long On June 12, 2025, Billy Long—former congressman, auctioneer, and longtime critic of the IRS—was confirmed as the 51st Commissioner of Internal Revenue. That sentence alone would be enough to shock tax professionals, civil servants, and policy wonks. But Long’s appointment didn’t come in a vacuum. It came after months of leadership turmoil, multiple acting commissioners, and deep uncertainty within the agency. To understand what Long inherits—and why IRS staff are b