President Trump has opted to replace Billy Long as commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), with the former congressman announcing Friday that he will assume a new post.
“It is an honor to serve my friend President Trump, and I am excited to take on my new role as the ambassador to Iceland,” Long, who will now be serving as U.S. ambassador to Iceland, posted to X. “I am thrilled to answer his call to service and deeply committed to advancing his bold agenda. Exciting times ahead!”
“Treasury thanks Commissioner Long for his commitment to public service and the American people,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Treasury Department told FOX Business in an email. “His zeal and enthusiasm to bring a fresh perspective to the Federal Government was evident in both the House of Representatives and as part of the Trump Administration. A new candidate for Commissioner will be announced at the appropriate time.”
Long, a former U.S. representative for Missouri’s 7th Congressional District, was sworn in as the 51st IRS commissioner on June 16. Just days earlier, on June 12, the GOP-controlled Senate confirmed his appointment in a 53–44 party-line vote, the outlet added.
His term as IRS commissioner was to run through Nov. 12, 2027.
The former congressman assumed leadership of an agency he had once sought to abolish, having previously supported legislation to eliminate the IRS and replace income taxes with a national sales tax.
FOX noted that in a message to IRS employees upon his swearing-in, Long expressed his goal of transforming the agency’s culture into one that “makes your lives and the taxpayers’ lives better.”
Long was the fifth person to lead the IRS since the start of 2025, succeeding Michael Faulkender, who had been serving as acting commissioner while also fulfilling his role as deputy Treasury secretary.
As President Donald Trump’s new tax cuts start to take effect, millions of American households are already receiving larger refunds halfway through the 2026 tax filing season.
The U.S. Treasury Department released a fact sheet stating that over 63.5 million tax returns have been processed thus far, with an average refund of more than $3,700.
The administration claims that the new provisions, collectively referred to as the Working Families Tax Cuts, are intended to lower taxes on sources of income that impact regular workers and raise take-home pay.
According to the Treasury, nearly 45% of all returns submitted this season included at least one of the new tax benefits.
The cuts are part of a broader policy push the administration says will help “put more money back into the pockets of working Americans.”
Several provisions focus on particular forms of income that middle-class households typically earn. According to Treasury data, approximately 15.5 million returns have claimed the overtime provision, making it the most popular benefit thus far.
These policies, according to officials, are intended to reward more work hours and relieve financial strain on working-class households and retirees.
The introduction of “Trump Accounts,” a new savings program connected to the tax reform package, was also highlighted in the fact sheet.
The pilot program entitles over 800,000 of the nearly 3.5 million accounts opened so far to a $1,000 government contribution.
The administration has presented the tax adjustments as a component of a larger economic plan intended to increase consumer spending and spur economic expansion.
Policymakers hope to increase workers’ pay and disposable income by lowering taxes on common sources of earned income.
According to Treasury officials, preliminary data from the 2026 filing season indicates that millions of households are already receiving more refunds and paying less in taxes as a result of the new policies.
However, some economists warn that once more returns are processed and comprehensive IRS data becomes available later in the year, the full impact of the tax changes will become evident.
