Previous IRS commissioners

 

The Office of Commissioner of Internal Revenue was created by Congress on July 1, 1862. The Bureau of Internal Revenue was created to collect taxes used to finance the Civil War. The income tax was abolished after 10 years but the agency remained to collect other revenues. The income tax was reinstated in 1913.

Commissioners are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. The IRS Commissioner and the IRS Chief Counsel are the only appointees within the agency. All other employees are career civil servants. Since the IRS Restructuring and Reform Act of 1998, commissioners have been appointed to a five-year term.

  • Billy Long

    June 17, 2025 to present

  • Michael Faulkender (Acting)

    April 19, 2025 to June 16, 2025

  • Gary Shapley (Acting)

    April 16, 2025 to April 18, 2025

  • Melanie Krause (Acting)

    February 29, 2025 to April 16, 2025

  • Douglas O’Donnell (Acting)

    January 21, 2025 to February 28, 2025

  • Danny Werfel

    March 13, 2023 to January 20, 2025

  • Douglas O’Donnell (Acting)
  • November 12, 2022 to March 12, 2023
  • Charles P. Rettig

    October 1, 2018 to November 11, 2022

  • David J. Kautter (Acting)

    November 13, 2017 to September 30, 2018

  • John Koskinen

    December 23, 2013 to November 12, 2017

  • Daniel Werfel (Acting)

    May 22, 2013 to December 23, 2013

  • Steven T. Miller (Acting)

    November 10, 2012 to May 21, 2013

  • Douglas H. Shulman

    Ohio

    March 24, 2008 to November 9, 2012

  • Linda E. Stiff (Acting)

    Germany

    September 9, 2007 to March 23, 2008

  • Kevin M. Brown (Acting)

    Virginia

    May 29, 2007 to September 8, 2007

  • Mark W. Everson

    New York

    May 1, 2003 to May 28, 2007

  • Bob Wenzel (Acting)

    Illinois

    November 7, 2002 to April 30, 2003

  • Charles O. Rossotti

    New York

    November 13, 1997 to November 6, 2002

  • Michael P. Dolan (Acting)

    Iowa

    June 1 to November 12, 1997

  • Margaret Milner Richardson

    Texas

    May 27, 1993 to May 31, 1997

  • Michael P. Dolan (Acting)

    Iowa

    January 21 to May 26, 1993

  • Shirley D. Peterson

    Colorado

    February 3, 1992 to January 20, 1993

  • Fred Goldberg, Jr.

    Missouri

    July 5, 1989 to February 2, 1992

  • Michael J. Murphy (Acting)

    Wisconsin

    March 5 to July 4, 1989

  • Lawrence B. Gibbs

    Texas

    August 4, 1986 to March 4, 1989

  • James I. Owens (Acting)

    Alabama

    May 1 to August 3, 1986

  • Roscoe L. Egger, Jr.

    Indiana

    March 14, 1981 to April 30, 1986

  • William E. Williams (Acting)

    Illinois

    November 1, 1980 to March 13, 1981

  • Jerome Kurtz

    Pennsylvania

    May 5, 1977 to October 31, 1980

  • William E. Williams (Acting)

    Illinois

    February 27 to May 4, 1977

  • Donald C. Alexander

    Ohio

    May 26, 1973 to February 26, 1977

  • Raymond F. Harless (Acting)

    California

    May 1 to May 25, 1973

  • Johnnie M. Walters

    South Carolina

    August 6, 1971 to April 30, 1973

  • Harold T. Swartz (Acting)

    Indiana

    June 23 to August 5, 1971

  • Randolph W. Thrower

    Georgia

    April 1, 1969 to June 22, 1971

  • Sheldon S. Cohen

    Maryland

    January 25, 1965 to January 20, 1969

  • Bertrand M. Harding (Acting)

    Texas

    July 11, 1964 to January 24, 1965

  • Mortimer M. Caplin

    Virginia

    February 7, 1961 to July 10, 1964

  • Charles I. Fox (Acting)

    Utah

    January 21 to February 6, 1961

  • Dana Latham

    California

    November 5, 1958 to January 20, 1961

  • O. Gordon Delk (Acting)

    Virginia

    October 1 to November 4, 1958

  • Russell C. Harrington

    Rhode Island

    December 5, 1955 to September 30, 1958

  • T. Coleman Andrews

    Virginia

    February 4, 1953 to October 31, 1955

  • Justin F. Winkle (Acting)

    New York

    January 20 to February 3, 1953

  • John S. Graham (Acting)

    North Carolina

    November 19, 1952 to January 19, 1953

  • John B. Dunlap

    Texas

    August 1, 1951 to November 18, 1952

  • George J. Schoeneman

    Rhode Island

    July 1, 1947 to July 31, 1951

  • Joseph D. Nunan, Jr.

    New York

    March 1, 1944 to June 30, 1947

  • Harold N. Graves (Acting)

    Illinois

    January 23 to February 29, 1944

  • Robert E. Hannegan

    Missouri

    October 9, 1943 to January 22, 1944

  • Guy T. Helvering

    Kansas

    June 6, 1933 to October 8, 1943

  • Pressly R. Baldridge (Acting)

    Iowa

    May 16 to June 5, 1933

  • David Burnet

    Ohio

    August 20, 1930 to May 15, 1933

  • H. F. Mires (Acting)

    Washington

    August 16 to August 19, 1930

  • Robert H. Lucas

    Kentucky

    June 1, 1929 to August 15, 1930

  • David H. Blair

    North Carolina

    May 27, 1921 to May 31, 1929

  • Millard F. West (Acting)

    Kentucky

    April 12 to May 26, 1921

  • William M. Williams

    Alabama

    April 1, 1920 to April 11, 1921

  • Daniel C. Roper

    South Carolina

    September 26, 1917 to March 31, 1920

  • William H. Osborn

    North Carolina

    April 28, 1913 to September 25, 1917

  • Royal E. Cabell

    Virginia

    September 1, 1909 to April 27, 1913

  • John G. Capers

    South Carolina

    June 5, 1907 to August 31, 1909

  • Henry C. Rogers (Acting)

    Pennsylvania

    May 1 to June 4, 1907

  • John W. Yerkes

    Kentucky

    December 20, 1900 to April 30, 1907

  • Robert Williams, Jr., (Acting)

    Ohio

    November 28 to December 19, 1900

  • George W. Wilson

    Ohio

    March 1, 1899 to November 27, 1900

  • Nathan B. Scott

    West Virginia

    January 1, 1898 to February 28, 1899

  • W. St. John Forman

    Illinois

    November 27,1896 to December 31, 1897

  • Joseph S. Miller

    West Virginia

    April 19, 1893 to November 26, 1896

  • John W. Mason

    West Virginia

    March 21, 1889 to April 18, 1893

  • Joseph S. Miller

    West Virginia

    March 20, 1885 to March 20, 1889

  • Walter Evans

    Kentucky

    May 21, 1883 to March 19, 1885

  • John J. Knox (Acting)

    Minnesota

    May 11 to May 20, 1883

  • Henry C. Rogers (Acting)

    Pennsylvania

    May 1 to May 10, 1883

  • Green B. Raum

    Illinois

    August 2, 1876 to April 30, 1883

  • Daniel D. Pratt

    Indiana

    May 15, 1875 to August 1, 1876

  • John W. Douglass

    Pennsylvania

    August 9, 1871 to May 14, 1875

  • Alfred Pleasonton

    New York

    January 3, 1871 to August 8, 1871

  • John W. Douglass (Acting)

    Pennsylvania

    November 1, 1870 to January 2, 1871

  • Columbus Delano

    Ohio

    March 11, 1869 to October 31, 1870

  • Edward A. Rollins

    New Hampshire

    November 1, 1865 to March 10, 1869

  • William Orton

    New York

    July 1, 1865 to October 31, 1865

  • Joseph J. Lewis

    Pennsylvania

    March 18, 1863 to June 30, 1865

  • Joseph J. Lewis (Acting)

    Pennsylvania

    March 5 to March 17, 1863

  • George S. Boutwell

    Massachusetts

    July 17, 1862 to March 4, 1863