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The IRS is getting a new boss. The Treasury Department says Frank Bisignano will take over day-to-day operations. But he's already got a day job running Social Security, and that's making advocates for taxpayers and retirees a little nervous. NPR's Scott Horsley has this report.
SCOTT HORSLEY, BYLINE: It's only been five months since Frank Bisignano was confirmed to run Social Security. He'd spent decades in the private sector running financial and technology companies, and he told House lawmakers this summer he's determined to improve customer service.
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FRANK BISIGNANO: Social Security must evolve to meet the needs of the 21st century. As commissioner, I am committed to significantly improving service quality and streamlining operations at the agency.
HORSLEY: But now Bisignano's been given another big hat to wear - running the IRS. The tax collection agency has churned through more than half a dozen leaders this year. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will keep the title of acting IRS commissioner. But he's given Bisignano the newly created title of CEO, along with responsibility for handling the nuts and bolts. The Treasury Department said in a statement that because the IRS and Social Security share many of the same goals for technology and customer service, Bisignano is a natural choice to oversee both. But Max Richman, president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, worries the Social Security boss will be stretched too thin.
MAX RICHMAN: He was not nominated and confirmed to be a part-time commissioner. He was confirmed for a full-time job.
HORSLEY: It's not uncommon in the Trump administration for people to juggle multiple full-time jobs. Marco Rubio, for example, is secretary of state, acting national security adviser and acting archivist of the United States. But Richmond thinks putting one person in charge of both tax collection and Social Security is a mistake.
RICHMAN: These are two monumentally important agencies, and now we're going to have one person essentially in charge of running both of them.
HORSLEY: Nina Olson, who is a longtime taxpayer advocate at the IRS, is also worried. Olson, who now heads the Center for Taxpayer Rights, wrote in an email, this is unprecedented and does not bode well for a smooth 2026 filing season.
Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
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