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.
- Scott Bessent
Billy Long
June 17, 2025 to August 8, 2025
Michael Faulkender (Acting)
April 19, 2025 to June 16, 2025
Gary Shapley (Acting)
April 16, 2025 to April 18, 2025
Melanie Krause (Acting)
March 1, 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