Overview
On December 13, the IRS announced that it is reorganizing its leadership structure, marking the first major restructuring of the organization in over 20 years. The restructuring is scheduled to be implemented in early 2024, as per the agency's statement.
The revised organizational plan involves merging its two deputy commissioner positions into a single role. Douglas O'Donnell, currently serving as the Deputy Commissioner for Services and Enforcement, will assume this consolidated position.
The IRS is introducing four new chief roles under the supervision of O’Donnell. The appointed chiefs include Kenneth Corbin as chief of taxpayer service, Heather Maloy as chief taxpayer compliance officer, Rajiv Uppal as chief information officer, and Melanie Krause as chief operating officer.
According to IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel, “the entire landscape around tax administration – including the economy, tax laws and technology – have undergone major changes since the last IRS reorganization. . . the new structure will help the top leadership to work together to drive faster and more effective progress.”
According to the IRS, the new structure aims to facilitate greater specialization among top officials and is modeled after organizational frameworks found in other government sectors, including the Treasury, and in the private sector.
Werfel explained that the new structure is a response to The Taxpayer First Act, which directed to consider restructuring the organization in light of hierarchy limitations under the IRS’s existing framework.