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.

  • 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