Treasury shared Monday that a new Chief Executive Officer role at the IRS would be filled by the current Social Security Administration commissioner. The news was not well-received by many in the tax community.
According to Treasury’s press release, Frank Bisignano will oversee day-to-day IRS operations as the new IRS CEO, while concurrently continuing in his role as SSA commissioner. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will maintain his role as acting IRS commissioner.
Dual Role Raises Concerns
The announcement drew immediate concerns – including that Bisignano could be stretched thin. “Managing the IRS is a full-time job,” said NYU Tax Law Center’s Michael Kaercher. “Having one person run two major agencies makes it even harder for the IRS to prepare for the next filing season and implement recent changes in tax law.”
PwC’s Nikole Flax welcomed the news that someone had been selected to focus on IRS day-to-day operations. However, of both Bessent and Bisignano, she noted “these individuals also have other big jobs.” And “running the IRS,” said Flax, “needs concentrated attention.”
Others had a harsher response. “On this commissioner’s watch, SSA has seen huge customer service issues and responded not by solving the problems but by disguising the data,” said Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center’s Vanessa Williamson.
“There have been serious questions about data security practices at the agency this year,” Williamson told Checkpoint. “These are not problems we need to import into the IRS.”
Kaercher also expressed concern with having Bisignano lead both the IRS and SSA. “Putting the same person in charge of both the IRS and SSA creates a conflict of interest when SSA wants access to legally protected taxpayer data.”
Americans for Tax Fairness’ David Kass, too, is worried about Bisignano’s dual role at the top of the SSA and IRS. He argues the structure results in “concentrating enormous power over Americans’ financial data in the hands of one unelected political figure.”
And Ways and Means Ranking Member Richard Neal (D-MA), likewise, is wary of “[p]utting Commissioner Bisignano in charge of the IRS while he simultaneously oversees a chaotic and destructive operation at Social Security.”
Legality of New CEO Role
Some in the tax world are questioning the legality of the new CEO role. Williamson cautioned that “it certainly appears that the new CEO position is intended to cover responsibilities that by law belong to the IRS commissioner.” To her, this is “an end-run around the Senate confirmation process.”
Kass seconded those concerns. “This arrangement is an attempt to sidestep the Constitution’s requirement that the Senate confirm major executive branch appointments,” he said.
Neal, too, said that “President Trump is inventing positions out of thin air to bypass Congress.”
Another worry for Kass is that the new arrangement puts the IRS’ independence at risk. “The IRS is supposed to operate independently,” he stressed. Splitting the IRS commissioner duties between the new CEO role and Bessent’s acting commissioner role could result in “hollowing out that independence.”
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