President-elect Donald Trump announced last week that he is nominating southwest Missouri politician Billy Long to head the United States Internal Revenue Service.
Here’s what to know about the Springfield auctioneer and politician.
Who is Billy Long?
Long is a Springfield native. He owned his own auctioneer business from 1979 to 2011, according to his Congressional biography. Long has also worked as a real estate broker and radio host. As of July 2023, Long has been a Realtor with Murney Associates, according to the Missouri Real Estate Commission.
He has been a longtime supporter of Trump, often emphasizing that he supported the president-elect before others in the Republican Party.
“Trump knows me, I know Trump, and he knows I was with him from Day 1,” Long said during the 2021 Taney County Lincoln Days, according to News-Leader reporting.
Long served as a representative in Congress from 2011 to 2023. There, he sponsored a total of 46 bills, 13 of which were about health care. He also sponsored a bill that was “expressing the sense of the House of Representatives” that Congress should not pass legislation that would tax or confiscate personal savings accounts.
In 2022, Long ran for Senate and lost to then-Attorney General Eric Schmitt.
What are his qualifications to head the IRS?
After losing the 2022 Senate seat, Long went into business as a “certified tax and business advisor,” according to his profile on X, formerly known as Twitter.
A certified tax and business advisor is a title given to those who complete a CTBA course with Excel Empire, a West Palm Beach, Florida, company. According to the Excel Empire’s website for the training, the three-day training course is $30,000. Matt Nye, chief marketing officer for Excel Empire, confirmed via email that Long completed the CTBA course.
“Billy brings 32 years of experience running his own businesses in Real Estate and, as one of the premier Auctioneers in the Country,” Trump said in a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Wednesday night, according to USA Today reporting. “Since leaving Congress, Billy has worked as a Business and Tax advisor, helping Small Businesses navigate the complexities of complying with the IRS Rules and Regulations.”
According to the Missouri Board of Accountancy, Long’s three broker associate licenses expired in 2012. It does not appear that Long is registered as an enrolled agent, which is a federally licensed tax practitioner who can prepare taxes and can represent taxpayers before the IRS, and he is not certified by the Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation or listed in the IRS’s “Directory of Federal Tax Return Preparers with Credentials and Select Qualifications.”
“I have known Billy since 2011 – He is an extremely hard worker, and respected by all, especially by those who know him in Congress,” Trump said, according to USA Today reporting. “Taxpayers and the wonderful employees of the IRS will love having Billy at the helm.”
In 2021, Long attended a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s club in Palm Beach, Florida, at Trump’s request. Tickets for the event started at $2,900. U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, who represents southeast Missouri, also attended a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago around the same time.
During his time in Congress, Long ran several fundraising events in Las Vegas and Springfield. In his 2022 campaign for Senate, he raised more than $1.3 million.
What does Long have to say about the nomination?
Long posted a comment on X following the nomination.
“I will not be issuing a blanket pardon, but I will be issuing a blanket thank you because I can’t keep up with all of you as fast as my phone is blowing up,” Long wrote. “Thank you. Let’s get to work.”
Who is leading the IRS now?
In March 2023, Danny Werfel took over as the commissioner of the IRS.
According to the IRS, Werfel was the leader of Boston Consulting Group’s public sector, which worked with government agencies internationally on finances, service delivery, transformation plans and risk-assessment initiatives. Prior to that, he was acting commissioner of the IRS in 2013 as well as controller of the Office of Management and Budget, where he led efforts to improve program integrity.
Werfel’s term is set to end on Nov. 12, 2027. According to federal statute, the commissioner of the IRS is appointed by the President with approval from the Senate for a 5-year term.
SPRINGFIELD NEWS-LEADER