WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The IRS's acting commissioner complained to President Donald Trump at Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent that the agency's latest leader had installed the agency's latest leader without knowing it.
The report cites five people’s knowledge of the change and the discussions that contributed to it.
The newspaper said Bessent thought Musk had done the end point around him to get Gary Shapley to serve as interim head of the IRS, even if the tax collection agency reported to Bessent.
Neither the Treasury nor the IRS commented immediately. Doge did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The report said the Musk administration’s efficiency ministry pushed the appointment through the White House channels, but did not consult Becent, which added that Becent had obtained Trump’s approval to relax the decision.
According to the New York Times, the next acting director of the IRS is expected to be Michael Faulkender, deputy secretary of the Treasury. He will hold the post until the president's permanent position nominee, if approved by the Senate, former Congressman Billy Long takes over.
Trump elected Shapley on Tuesday after the departure of former interim chief Melanie Krause, who resigned from the tax collection agency after sharing a deal with federal agents about immigration illegally residing in the United States.
(Report by Kanishka Singh of Washington; Editor by Lisa Shumaker)
