President Abraham Lincoln and Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1862 in July 1862 to create the office of commissioner of internal revenue. George S. Boutwell became the first Commissioner of Internal Revenue under this administration.
The agency received its current name: Internal Revenue Service in 1953 following a reorganization plan by President Truman. This plan decentralized functions to district offices and replaced politically appointed collectors with civil service directors after scandals involving bribery in 1952.
For fiscal year 2023, the IRS collected approximately 4.7 trillion dollars. This amount represents ninety-six percent of operational funding for the federal government.
Scott Bessent serves as acting commissioner since the 8th of August 2025. Billy Long was nominated as Commissioner on the 4th of December 2024 and took office in July after Senate confirmation.
In 1995, the IRS began using the public Internet for electronic filing. E-filed tax returns accounted for ninety percent of all submissions during the 2021 filing season.