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Amid Trump-imposed chaos, IRS loses its fourth commissioner in three months
How short was Gary Shapley's tenure as IRS commissioner? He's out after less than a week on the job.
How short was Gary Shapley's tenure as IRS commissioner? He lasted half a Scaramucci.
— Steve Benen (@stevebenen.com) 2025-04-18T18:15:08.252Z
He'll be replaced by the *fifth* IRS chief in three months amid Trump-imposed turmoil at the agency. www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddo...
How short was Gary Shapley's tenure as IRS commissioner? He lasted half a Scaramucci.
He'll be replaced by the *fifth* IRS chief in three months amid Trump-imposed turmoil at the agency
He'll be replaced by the *fifth* IRS chief in three months amid Trump-imposed turmoil at the agency
Link to tweet
https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-imposed-chaos-irs-loses-fourth-commissioner-three-months-rcna201914
In recent weeks, the Internal Revenue Service has lost its chief of staff, its chief financial officer, its chief information officer and its top officials overseeing privacy and risk policy, all of which has had a predictably destabilizing effect on the tax agency.
But to fully appreciate just how ridiculous conditions have become at the IRS, consider the revolving door in the commissioner’s office. The New York Times reported:
....The problems appear likely to get worse before they get better: The New York Times reported this week that roughly 22,000 IRS employees “have signed up for the Trump administration’s latest resignation offer, according to four people familiar with the matter, an exodus that could weaken the agency’s ability to collect taxes.”
Complicating matters further, the problems are not limited to personnel matters. As we’ve discussed, the IRS is also dealing with DOGE-driven disruptions, which are poised to be extraordinarily expensive while simultaneously abandoning a much-needed IRS modernization initiative and taking steps to politicize the agency’s criminal division.
And just in case it seemed as if this story couldn’t get even worse, the president also appears to be eager to sic the IRS on his perceived political foes — in effect, trying to turn the agency into a political weapon — While the IRS faces alleged internal pressure to help those who are considered “friends” of the president.
I’m mindful of the fact that Trump and some of his allies have said he believes the IRS can be replaced thanks to tariff revenue, but given the latest data, the White House should probably be looking for a Plan B as the existing tax agency faces repeated rounds of Trump-imposed chaos.
But to fully appreciate just how ridiculous conditions have become at the IRS, consider the revolving door in the commissioner’s office. The New York Times reported:
The acting commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service is being replaced after Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent complained to President Trump that the latest leader of the agency had been installed without his knowledge and at the behest of billionaire Elon Musk. ... Mr. Bessent believed that Mr. Musk had done an end run around him to get Gary Shapley installed as the interim head of the I.R.S., even though the tax collection agency reports to Mr. Bessent. Mr. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency pushed the appointment through White House channels, but Mr. Bessent was not consulted or asked for his blessing, the people said.
....The problems appear likely to get worse before they get better: The New York Times reported this week that roughly 22,000 IRS employees “have signed up for the Trump administration’s latest resignation offer, according to four people familiar with the matter, an exodus that could weaken the agency’s ability to collect taxes.”
Complicating matters further, the problems are not limited to personnel matters. As we’ve discussed, the IRS is also dealing with DOGE-driven disruptions, which are poised to be extraordinarily expensive while simultaneously abandoning a much-needed IRS modernization initiative and taking steps to politicize the agency’s criminal division.
And just in case it seemed as if this story couldn’t get even worse, the president also appears to be eager to sic the IRS on his perceived political foes — in effect, trying to turn the agency into a political weapon — While the IRS faces alleged internal pressure to help those who are considered “friends” of the president.
I’m mindful of the fact that Trump and some of his allies have said he believes the IRS can be replaced thanks to tariff revenue, but given the latest data, the White House should probably be looking for a Plan B as the existing tax agency faces repeated rounds of Trump-imposed chaos.
Gutting the IRS will only hurt tax collections.
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