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