History Of Internal Revenue Service Commissioners

Charles Rettig IRS Commissioner

Charles P. Rettig is the 49th Commissioner of the IRS. As Commissioner, Mr. Rettig presides over the nation’s tax system, which collects approximately $3.4 trillion in tax revenue each year. This revenue funds most government operations and public services. Mr. Rettig manages an agency of about 80,000 employees and a budget of approximately $11 billion.

In leading the IRS, Mr. Rettig is focused on improving service to the nation’s taxpayers, balancing appropriate enforcement of the nation’s tax laws while respecting taxpayer rights.

Previously, Mr. Rettig was with the law firm of Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, P.C., for more than 36 years. In his practice, Mr. Rettig represented thousands of individuals, businesses and corporate taxpayers before the IRS, the Department of Justice Tax Division, federal and state courts and state taxing authorities. These cases involved civil examinations and appeals, criminal investigations and tax collection matters.

Mr. Rettig has held leadership roles in a number of professional organizations, most recently serving as Vice Chair-Administration, for the American Bar Association’s Section of Taxation, and President of the American College of Tax Counsel. He was a member of the IRS Advisory Council (IRSAC) for three years beginning in 2008, and served as IRSAC’s chair from 2010 to 2011. He also served as Chair of the Taxation Section of the State Bar of California and has served on the advisory boards of both the Franchise Tax Board and the Board of Equalization in his home state of California.

Mr. Rettig has received numerous professional honors during his career from organizations across the country. He has been a featured speaker and panelist at hundreds of tax conferences throughout the U.S., Europe and Central America. And he has authored numerous tax-related articles.

He received a B.A. in Economics from the University of California at Los Angeles, as well as a J.D. with honors from Pepperdine University and an LL.M. in taxation from New York University.

Previous IRS Commissioners include the following individuals:

  • William E. Williams (Acting)
    Illinois
    Nov. 1, 1980 to March 13, 1981
  • Steven T. Miller (Acting)
    Nov. 10, 2012 to May 21, 2013
  • Jerome Kurtz
    Pennsylvania
    May 5, 1977 to Oct. 31, 1980
  • Douglas H. Shulman
    Ohio
    March 24, 2008 to Nov. 9, 2012
  • William E. Williams (Acting)
    Illinois
    Feb. 27 to May 4, 1977
  • Linda E. Stiff (Acting)
    Germany
    Sept. 9, 2007 to March 23, 2008
  • Donald C. Alexander
    Ohio
    May 26, 1973 to Feb. 26, 1977
  • Kevin M. Brown (Acting)
    Virginia
    May 29, 2007 to Sept. 8, 2007
  • Raymond F. Harless (Acting)
    California
    May 1 to May 25, 1973
  • Johnnie M. Walters
    South Carolina
    Aug. 6, 1971 to April 30, 1973
  • Bob Wenzel (Acting)
    Illinois
    Nov. 7, 2002 to April 30, 2003
  • Harold T. Swartz (Acting)
    Indiana
    June 23 to Aug. 5, 1971
  • Charles O. Rossotti
    New York
    Nov. 13, 1997 to Nov. 6, 2002
  • Randolph W. Thrower
    Georgia
    April 1, 1969 to June 22, 1971
  • Michael P. Dolan (Acting)
    Iowa
    June 1 to Nov. 12, 1997
  • Sheldon S. Cohen
    Maryland
    Jan. 25, 1965 to Jan. 20, 1969
  • Margaret Milner Richardson
    Texas
    May 27, 1993 to May 31, 1997
  • Bertrand M. Harding (Acting)
    Texas
    July 11, 1964 to Jan. 24, 1965
  • Michael P. Dolan (Acting)
    Iowa
    Jan. 21 to May 26, 1993
  • Mortimer M. Caplin
    Virginia
    Feb. 7, 1961 to July 10, 1964
  • Shirley D. Peterson
    Colorado
    Feb. 3, 1992 to Jan. 20, 1993
  • Charles I. Fox (Acting)
    Utah
    Jan. 21 to Feb. 6, 1961
  • Fred Goldberg, Jr.
    Missouri
    July 5, 1989 to Feb. 2, 1992
  • Dana Latham
    California
    Nov. 5, 1958 to Jan. 20, 1961
  • Michael J. Murphy (Acting)
    Wisconsin
    March 5 to July 4, 1989
  • O. Gordon Delk (Acting)
    Virginia
    Oct. 1 to Nov. 4, 1958
  • Lawrence B. Gibbs
    Texas
    Aug. 4, 1986 to March 4, 1989
  • Russell C. Harrington
    Rhode Island
    Dec. 5, 1955 to Sept. 30, 1958
  • James I. Owens (Acting)
    Alabama
    May 1 to Aug. 3, 1986
  • Roscoe L. Egger, Jr.
    Indiana
    March 14, 1981 to April 30, 1986
  • T. Coleman Andrews
    Virginia
    Feb. 4, 1953 to Oct. 31, 1955
  • Justin F. Winkle (Acting)
    New York
    Jan. 20 to Feb. 3, 1953
  • Robert Williams, Jr., (Acting)
    Ohio
    Nov. 28 to Dec. 19, 1900
  • John S. Graham (Acting)
    North Carolina
    Nov. 19, 1952 to Jan. 19, 1953
  • George W. Wilson
    Ohio
    March 1, 1899 to Nov. 27, 1900
  • John B. Dunlap
    Texas
    Aug. 1, 1951 to Nov. 18, 1952
  • Nathan B. Scott
    West Virginia
    Jan. 1, 1898 to Feb. 28, 1899
  • George J. Schoeneman
    Rhode Island
    July 1, 1947 to July 31, 1951
  • W. St. John Forman
    Illinois
    Nov. 27,1896 to Dec. 31, 1897
  • Joseph D. Nunan, Jr.
    New York
    March 1, 1944 to June 30, 1947
  • Joseph S. Miller
    West Virginia
    April 19, 1893 to Nov. 26, 1896
  • Harold N. Graves (Acting)
    Illinois
    Jan. 23 to Feb. 29, 1944
  • John W. Mason
    West Virginia
    March 21, 1889 to April 18, 1893
  • Robert E. Hannegan
    Missouri
    Oct. 9, 1943 to Jan. 22, 1944
  • Joseph S. Miller
    West Virginia
    March 20, 1885 to March 20,
    1889
  • Guy T. Helvering
    Kansas
    June 6, 1933 to Oct. 8, 1943
  • Walter Evans
    Kentucky
    May 21, 1883 to March 19, 1885
  • Pressly R. Baldridge (Acting)
    Iowa
    May 16 to June 5, 1933
  • John J. Knox (Acting)
    Minnesota
    May 11 to May 20, 1883
  • David Burnet
    Ohio
    Aug. 20, 1930 to May 15, 1933
  • Henry C. Rogers (Acting)
    Pennsylvania
    May 1 to May 10, 1883
  • H. F. Mires (Acting)
    Washington
    Aug. 16 to Aug. 19, 1930
  • Green B. Raum
    Illinois
    Aug. 2, 1876 to April 30, 1883
  • Robert H. Lucas
    Kentucky
    June 1, 1929 to Aug. 15, 1930
  • Daniel D. Pratt
    Indiana
    May 15, 1875 to Aug. 1, 1876
  • David H. Blair
    North Carolina
    May 27, 1921 to May 31, 1929
  • John W. Douglass
    Pennsylvania
    Aug. 9, 1871 to May 14, 1875
  • Millard F. West (Acting)
    Kentucky
    April 12 to May 26, 1921
  • Alfred Pleasonton
    New York
    Jan. 3, 1871 to Aug. 8, 1871
  • William M. Williams
    Alabama
    April 1, 1920 to April 11, 1921
  • John W. Douglass (Acting)
    Pennsylvania
    Nov. 1, 1870 to Jan. 2, 1871
  • Daniel C. Roper
    South Carolina
    Sept. 26, 1917 to March 31, 1920
  • Columbus Delano
    Ohio
    March 11, 1869 to Oct. 31, 1870
  • William H. Osborn
    North Carolina
    April 28, 1913 to Sept. 25, 1917
  • Edward A. Rollins
    New Hampshire
    Nov. 1, 1865 to March 10, 1869
  • Royal E. Cabell
    Virginia
    Sept. 1, 1909 to April 27, 1913
  • William Orton
    New York
    July 1, 1865 to Oct. 31, 1865
  • John G. Capers
    South Carolina
    June 5, 1907 to Aug. 31, 1909
  • Joseph J. Lewis
    Pennsylvania
    March 18, 1863 to June 30, 1865
  • Henry C. Rogers (Acting)
    Pennsylvania
    May 1 to June 4, 1907
  • Joseph J. Lewis (Acting)
    Pennsylvania
    March 5 to March 17, 1863
  • John W. Yerkes
    Kentucky
    Dec. 20, 1900 to April 30, 1907
  • George S. Boutwell
    Massachusetts
    July 17, 1862 to March 4, 1863

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