Trish Turner Takes Charge of IRS Crypto Amid DOGE Cuts and Staff Exodus

In a significant leadership shift, Trish Turner has been appointed to head the IRS’s Digital Assets Office, succeeding Sulolit “Raj” Mukherjee and Seth Wilks, who recently departed the agency. This move comes at a time when the IRS is undergoing substantial restructuring under the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk.

Turner, a seasoned IRS veteran with nearly two decades of experience, steps into the role amid a broader federal initiative aimed at reducing government expenditures. The DOGE-led downsizing plan has resulted in the loss of over 30,000 IRS employees, including a significant portion of the agency’s tax auditors. Reports indicate that up to 40% of the IRS workforce could be cut this year, raising concerns about the agency’s capacity to enforce tax compliance effectively .(Cryptopolitan, Cryptonews)

The departures of Mukherjee and Wilks, both instrumental in shaping the IRS’s approach to cryptocurrency taxation and regulation, have left a void in the agency’s digital assets strategy. Their resignation follows the acceptance of deferred resignation offers under the DOGE initiative, which aims to streamline federal operations but has been criticized for potentially undermining the IRS’s ability to oversee the rapidly evolving cryptocurrency sector .(Cryptopolitan, Cryptopolitan)

Turner’s appointment is seen as a stabilizing move, bringing continuity to the IRS’s digital assets efforts during a period of significant transition. However, the ongoing staff reductions and the broader implications of the DOGE-led restructuring raise questions about the future of cryptocurrency regulation and enforcement in the United States.