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President Trump has decided to remove Billy Long from his role as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with the former lawmaker announcing Friday that he will be taking on a new role as U.S. Ambassador to Iceland.
“It is a honor to serve my friend President Trump and I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland,” Long posted to X Friday afternoon. “I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will step in as acting IRS commissioner until a replacement is found, an official source confirmed to FOX Business on Friday.
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Billy Long, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Internal Revenue Service Commissioner, speaks during a Senate Finance Committee nomination hearing on Capitol Hill on May 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images / Getty Images)
“Treasury thanks Commissioner Long for his commitment to public service and the American people,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury told FOX Business in an email. “His zeal and enthusiasm to bring a fresh perspective to the Federal Government was evident in both the House of Representatives and as part of the Trump Administration. A new candidate for Commissioner will be announced at the appropriate time.”
Long, who previously served as a U.S. representative for Missouri’s 7th Congressional district, was sworn in as the 51st commissioner of the IRS on June 16. On June 12, the GOP-controlled Senate approved Long in a 53 to 44 vote along party lines.
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His term as commissioner was originally slated to run through Nov. 12, 2027, according to the IRS website.
The former lawmaker took over an agency he once sought to dismantle, previously backing legislation that would have abolished the IRS and replaced income taxes with a national sales tax.
President Donald Trump removed Bill Long as IRS commissioner after he was on the job for just two months. (Win McNamee/Getty Images / Getty Images)
In a message to IRS employees at the time of his swearing-in, Long outlined his intent to reshape the agency’s culture into one that “makes your lives and the taxpayers’ lives better.”
“In my first 90 days I plan to ask you, my employee partners, to help me develop a new culture here,” Long said.
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Long was the fifth commissioner atop the tax agency since the beginning of 2025. He replaced Michael Faulkender, who was serving as acting commissioner alongside his duty as deputy Treasury secretary.
On Tuesday, Trump said Treasury Secretary Bessent will not be in the running to become the next chair of the Federal Reserve.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies before a House Financial Services Committee hearing entitled “The Annual Testimony of the Secretary of the Treasury on the State of the International Financial System,” on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., M (REUTERS/Nathan Howard / Reuters Photos)
Senate Finance Committee ranking member Ronald Wyden, D-Ore., on Friday issued a scathing statement in reaction to Long’s change of position.
“In just a handful of months, Trump and his crew have already gutted taxpayer service, weaponized IRS data against innocent taxpayers and set us up for disaster when next year’s filing season comes around,” Wyden said in a statement. “This is what Trump does — pick incompetent, unserious people for serious jobs, and sit back as the damage piles up.”
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The IRS did not immediately respond to FOX Business’ request for comment.
Fox News Digital’s Alex Miller contributed to this report.
