Table of Contents
- Turmoil at the IRS
- Who Is Frank Bisignano?
- Why This Matters for Taxpayers
- Political Implications
- What Happens Next?
- Sources
Turmoil at the IRS
In a stunning administrative shuffle, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has appointed Frank Bisignano—the current head of the Social Security Administration (SSA)—to also serve as the de facto chief executive officer of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). This move comes amid unprecedented instability at the nation’s tax collection agency, which has cycled through seven leaders in 2025 alone.
Adding to the chaos, the Trump administration has slashed roughly 26,000 IRS employees this year—nearly a quarter of its workforce. With the 2026 tax filing season looming, experts and lawmakers alike are raising alarms about the agency’s ability to process returns efficiently and deliver timely refunds.
Who Is Frank Bisignano?
Frank Bisignano isn’t a career bureaucrat—he’s a Wall Street veteran best known for leading Fiserv, a major payments processing firm. His appointment signals a shift toward a more corporate-style management approach at the IRS, a move Treasury Secretary Bessent defends by citing Bisignano’s “exceptional track record of driving growth and efficiency.”
In an internal email to SSA staff, Bisignano reassured employees that his new dual role wouldn’t disrupt Social Security operations. “I’ve held multiple leadership roles simultaneously before,” he wrote, according to a copy obtained by The New York Times.
Frank Bisignano’s Career Snapshot
| Role | Organization | Period |
|---|---|---|
| CEO | Fiserv | 2010–2023 |
| COO | JPMorgan Chase | 2005–2010 |
| Commissioner (Acting CEO) | IRS | 2025–present |
| Commissioner | Social Security Administration | 2025–present |
Why This Matters for Taxpayers
The timing couldn’t be worse. Republicans are banking on a smooth 2026 tax season to showcase larger refunds stemming from their summer tax law overhaul—a potential political win ahead of the 2026 midterms. But if the IRS falters under leadership instability and staff shortages, those anticipated refunds could be delayed or miscalculated, turning a political asset into a liability.
For everyday Americans, this means possible delays in refunds, longer wait times for customer service, and increased risk of errors in tax processing. The IRS, already criticized for outdated technology and slow modernization, now faces a leadership model that’s untested in the public sector.
Political Implications
This dual-role appointment may also signal that the Trump administration has no immediate plans to nominate a permanent IRS commissioner requiring Senate confirmation. The last confirmed pick, former GOP Congressman Billy Long, lasted less than two months before being quietly ousted by Treasury officials who deemed him “not up to the task.”
By sidestepping the Senate confirmation process, the White House avoids another potential political headache—but at the cost of long-term stability at a critical federal agency.
What Happens Next?
All eyes are now on Bisignano. Can a payments industry executive successfully manage two of the government’s largest and most complex agencies simultaneously? And more importantly, can he stabilize the IRS in time for next year’s filing season?
While Bisignano brings private-sector efficiency to the table, the IRS isn’t a corporation—it’s a public institution with legal, social, and constitutional responsibilities that go far beyond profit margins. Whether his leadership style translates remains to be seen.
