This post first appeared on Government Executive. Read the original article.
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The head of the Internal Revenue Service will step down after President-elect Trump’s inauguration on Monday, he told employees on Friday, despite his term not expiring until 2027.
IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel told staff his early departure would be the best thing for the agency given that Trump has already announced his intention to install a replacement. Werfel could have stayed in the role and forced Trump to fire him, but said his discussions with IRS employees, members of Congress, Trump transition team staff and other stakeholders led him to take a different approach.
“While I had always intended to complete my full term as commissioner, the president-elect has announced his plan to nominate a new IRS commissioner,” Werfel said. “I have been touched by those who have reached out to me to share how they were hopeful that I could remain in seat and continue the important work underway. But as civil servants, we have a job to do, and that job is to now ensure a new commissioner is set up for success.”
Trump has named former Rep. Billy Long, R-Mo., to lead IRS. IRS commissioners are nominated to five year terms so that they do not directly correspond to presidential turnover, though federal statute dictates the agency head “may be removed at the will of the president.”
President Biden nominated Werfel in 2022 after Trump’s choice to lead IRS, former Commissioner Charles Rettig, saw his term expire. Biden opted not to replace Rettig, following precedent that has remained in effect for the last 30 years. Werfel, just prior to Trump naming a replacement, said he hoped to stay in his role through the end of his term.
Werfel is in the midst of transforming IRS—using roughly $60 billion from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act—including by boosting customer service, modernizing technology and dramatically ramping up staffing to increase enforcement on wealthy individuals and corporations. Congressional Republicans have largely balked at his efforts and attempted to revoke the IRA funding on multiple occasions. With the party now taking control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, Republican leaders have indicated they will push those efforts through.
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