IRS Commissioner Removed Amid Controversy

IRS Commissioner Billy Long has been dismissed following conflicts between the IRS and the White House regarding the use of taxpayer information.

According to “two knowledgeable sources,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) improperly provided the IRS with a list of about 40,000 individuals identified by DHS officials in the U.S. The IRS was then asked to verify addresses using sensitive taxpayer data.

Reports indicate that the IRS was only able to confirm less than 3% of the names on the list.

People familiar with the situation mentioned that the IRS could confirm fewer than 3% of the names submitted.

The names matched by the IRS mostly included those with individual taxpayer identification numbers (ITIN), which are often used by immigrants instead of Social Security numbers. It’s noteworthy that undocumented immigrants contribute significantly, paying hundreds of billions of dollars in taxes annually.

Sources have suggested that President Donald Trump, who appointed the IRS commissioner in December 2024, previously imposed restrictions on sharing confidential taxpayer information outside the IRS’s agreement with DHS.

In an earlier report from Breitbart News, it was noted that the Treasury Department and DHS had formed a partnership in April, enabling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to identify illegal immigrants in the country.

A recent article from the Washington Post stated that Treasury Secretary Scott Bescent and DHS Secretary Christy Noem had signed a memorandum allowing ICE agents to request tax information about undocumented individuals.

Under this agreement, Noem or ICE Director Todd Lyon could submit information to the IRS regarding undocumented individuals approved for deportation. Subsequently, IRS officials were permitted to share related information.

As per sources, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to temporarily oversee the IRS.