President Trump reportedly plans to name Charles Rettig, a California tax attorney, as the next commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
Trump intends to nominate Rettig, who is a partner at the Beverly Hills firm of Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, P.C., according to Politico, citing multiple sources. He would be replacing acting IRS commissioner David Kautter, who has been filling in since the end of former IRS Commissioner John Koskinen’s term in November. However, Kautter has simultaneously been serving as Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Tax Policy and was involved in devising the tax overhaul law, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which Congress passed last month.
If he is confirmed as IRS commissioner, Rettig would be in charge of the IRS at a time when the agency is adjusting to the new tax regime and writing regulations to deal with it. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The IRS headquarters building in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg
According to the biography on the firm’s website, Rettig has represented clients before the IRS and the Tax Division of the Justice Department, as well as before state taxing authorities and in federal and state tax litigation and appeals. In addition, he is vice-chair of administration for the American Bar Association’s Section of Taxation. He has also chaired the IRS Advisory Council, and he contributes to the IRS Watch blog on Forbes.com. One of Rettig's columns for Forbes.com was written during the 2016 presidential campaign and discussed Trump's decision not to release his tax returns during an IRS audit.
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