Chief Long is Long Gone (from the IRS)

August 11th, 2025
Ian Cheng

Note: all instances of “Long” in this article are nouns, not the adjective.

When Billy Long referenced the OBBB as the One Big Beautiful Bill(y) just three days ago on X, he probably wasn’t talking about the legislation. Rather, he was begging Trump to give him a “You’re beautiful, Billy.” Let’s be real, the president is in both his X profile picture and banner. Now, the president has crushed these relationship rumors.

In a move described as sudden, Donald Trump has removed the chief/commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Billy Long. The IRS’ main task is to handle taxes, which primarily involves enforcing federal laws, helping people navigate the system and collecting taxes. It is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

The former Missouri congressman has always been scrutinized. In 2017, Long co-sponsored (introduced) an older version of the Fair Tax Act that would’ve eliminated the IRS. During his confirmation hearing, he was questioned about his history with the Employee Tax Retention Credit (ETRC). The credit was created to help businesses pay their employees during the economic struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2023, Long worked with Lifetime Advisors as a salesperson to promote the use of the ETRC. There is clear evidence of fraud, denying the claim that he only helped “eligible businesses.” A past contract revealed that Lifetime took a 20% share of a $300k credit distribution. The IRS also shut down all claims for the credit in September 2023, hinting at Long’s incompetence. Even during his 54 days as IRS chief, Long made mistakes. He said that the agency would begin tax filing season on February 16th, 2026, a three-week delay compared to this year. This statement was later retracted. Critics also note Long’s facilitation of the IRS’s immigration data-sharing agreement with ICE, which gives away sensitive taxpayer information to help the ongoing mass deportation effort.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will lead the IRS temporarily, making him the seventh person to have the job since the beginning of 2025. The process of finding Long’s replacement could last anywhere from 4-10 months, leaving ample time for significant changes to be made. Bessent supports cutting spending while extending tax cuts. Therefore, he will likely enforce the OBBB’s extension of the 2017 tax cuts that would give 60% of the benefits to the top 20% of US households. This will have devastating effects, such as reducing federal tax revenue by $5 trillion and increasing income inequality. Regardless, the job is going to be rough. The IRS has already lost more than 25,000 employees—about 25% of the initial workforce size—and at least 35,000 more firings are planned. Bessent has taken the reins of the IRS—negatively affected by the Trump administration’s crackdown on the federal government, yet it remains unclear how well he will do.

However, Mr. Long has a second opportunity. Apparently, he is the nominee for the US’ ambassador to Iceland, a close ally of the EU and a member of NATO. The small European nation spends nothing on defense, relying on America—via a bilateral defense agreement—and NATO. If granted the job, Long will play a role in one of the world’s most geopolitically important regions: the Arctic. Because of Iceland’s location, it serves as a key US ally that supports the US in competing for influence against Russia and China in the Arctic. Thanks to melting ice, a rich deposit of natural resources—such as 90 billion barrels of undiscovered oil— and a much shorter global shipping route are on the line.

Whether it be the consolidation of the Treasury Department or simply incompetence—he’s accused of using campaign funds to pay off his personal debt—there will most certainly be debate over the cause of firing Billy Long. What’s clear is that this situation is much more than just a layoff; it’s all-encompassing, touching down on issues from the OBBB to foreign policy. Even if Long’s position in the IRS may have been shot down by Trump, his job in the US government is by no means finished.

Extemp Analysis by: Ian Cheng

Question: What are the long-term implications of the Trump administration’s firing of IRS Chief Billy Long?

AGD: Very conveniently included in the article, but it might need an extra punchline/illustrative context to hit harder. Another option would be a serious narrative, about one of Billy Long’s controversies — there are many examples here.

Background: Three sentences: 1. Make it clear who Billy Long is and that he’s been fired. 2. Briefly explain his new role as a diplomat. 3. Hint at what this firing can mean (Scott Bessent replacing him, geopolitics)

Answer: Going with a thesis statement that asserts negative effects would be the most straightforward. Alternatively, you could explain the positive effects, with the main point being that the US government doesn’t have an incompetent politician managing taxes.

Since this is a descriptive question, substructure for each point would be

A: Status Quo (what’s been happening with Long in office)

B: Change (what changes with Long being laid off)

C: Impact

More instability in the IRS

A1: IRS was already unstable, they had lots of interims before Long got confirmed, people hoped he would give some stability

B1: After 54 days, he got kicked out

C1: No real chief for a long time only sets the stage for more instability, especially when the IRS has been hit by budget cuts and employee layoffs. Cannot do its job.

Greater enforcement of OBBB taxes

A2: Long focused on other things, like the partnership with ICE and the new tax season. OBBB was less of a priority for him.

B2: Scott Bessent will now take over as interim, a more outspoken supporter of Trump’s economic policies. The Treasury Dept now has more control over the IRS, one of its key agencies.

Quick rebuttal: just because Scott Bessent could tax doesn’t mean that the IRS is more stable. He doesn’t change the fact that the agency has had a massive staff exodus nor does he provide a new permanent head

C2: He is more likely to strongly enforce new OBBB taxes, increasing income inequality and decreasing federal tax revenue as all critics fear.

His potential role as an international diplomat

A3: Long was the IRS chief (keep this short and sweet)

B3: He is now nominee for ambassador to Iceland, as things stand

C3: He will play a key role in a geopolitically important region -> one of US allies that they must work with to compete against China and Russia. Here, you could tie it back to doubts about his reliability, and the harm it would cause the US if Long doesn’t do a good job in the future.