As the ancient proverb goes, fall down seven times, stand up eight. At least that’s what seems to be the mantra at the Internal Revenue Service.
Treasury Security Scott Bessent named Frank Bisignano, the head of the Social Security Administration, as “chief executive officer” of the IRS. It’s the first time the IRS has had a CEO, and the announcement came after the tax agency had already cycled through seven leaders this year.
Bisignano will apparently run both the IRS and the Social Security Administration. Bessent is currently acting commissioner of the IRS, having taken the reins after former IRS commissioner Billy Long was fired just 53 days after assuming the post.
The move to name Bisignano CEO, a title that hasn’t previously existed at the IRS, appears to be designed to avoid “a potentially lengthy Senate confirmation process to fill a leadership vacuum at IRS as it prepares for filing season and tries to integrate massive changes to tax law from Trump and the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill,” according to The Washington Post.
The IRS has had, well, a tumultuous year. Multiple acting commissioners were named during the first months of the Trump administration, including three in a single week in April. One Elon Musk-supported commissioner lasted three days before Trump changed his mind and installed another Bessent pick.
Former auctioneer Billy Long was confirmed as IRS commissioner in mid-June, but was canned in August.
The hamster wheel at the top of the IRS comes as the agency’s inspector general recently warned that IRS staffing cuts by the Trump administration could make the 2026 filing season difficult. The IRS has let approximately 26,000 employees go so far this year, many in critical positions for return processing.
But at least there’s now an IRS CEO.
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