Tax Byte

Today, President Biden announced Daniel “Danny” Werfel as his pick to serve as the next IRS Commissioner.

A Word About Werfel

Werfel has provided over 15 years of government service, having served under both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush to lead some of the governments’ most complex management challenges as Acting IRS Commissioner and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Controller, according to the White House.

“In the wake of an Inspector General report alleging various forms of mismanagement and bias in the determination of tax-exempt status for non-profit organizations, President Obama appointed Werfel to serve as Acting Commissioner of the IRS in 2013. Werfel provided immediate stability to the IRS, effectively responding to numerous Congressional investigations, successfully launching the Affordable Care Act technology that IRS was responsible for, and navigated the IRS through a multi-week government shutdown,” the White House said. “At the end of his tenure, both the majority and minority leaders of the Senate Finance Committee publicly recognized his contribution and performance.”

Werfel holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial and Labor Relations (with honors) from Cornell University, a Juris Doctor (with honors) from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Master of Public Policy from Duke University.

Next Steps 

Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Rettig will conclude his term as head of the agency on November 12, at which time Douglas O’Donnell will step in as Acting IRS Commissioner in the interim. Procedurally, Biden will next officially nominate Werfel who must then be confirmed by the Senate.