Charles Rettig confirmed as IRS chief

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2025

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Charles Rettig confirmed as IRS chief

People Thumbnail

The US Senate Finance Committee has confirmed California tax attorney Charles Rettig will be the next head of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

As an attorney, Rettig has specialised in tax planning, litigation and controversy. He has 36 years of experience in private practice, serving as principal at Hochman Salkin Rettig Toscher & Perez in Beverly Hills. Rettig will replace acting IRS chief David Kautter, who took office when John Koskinen stepped down in November 2017.

Kautter was EY’s national director for 10 years and later joined RSM US as the firm’s national tax leader. Kautter has overseen the first steps to provide guidance on US tax reform, including the rules on Section 965 and foreign earnings.

The interim period was meant to last for 120 to 190 days, but it has stretched across 11 months since Koskinen stepped down. The first hearing on Rettig's nomination was in June, though the Democrats set out to block his confirmation over concerns that the Trump administration was concealing the identity of their donors.

The decision to appoint Kautter was not uncontroversial at the time either. During Kautter’s tenure as EY’s national director, the Big 4 firm faced a scandal over claims it was running illegal tax shelters for 200 clients. It should be noted that Kautter was never implicated in any wrongdoing.

The confirmation of a new commissioner brings this long transition to a close. Kautter will continue to serve as the US Treasury’s top tax policy adviser.

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

The US president also unveiled a new 50% levy on copper imports; in other news, a UK wealth tax proposal has been criticised by the Institute for Fiscal Studies
Wim Wuyts, who had been head of the specialist tax network since 2017, is moving on to a new role with WTS’s Belgian member firm
MNEs are increasingly using algorithmic tools in TP. Sahasranshu Dash argues that data ethics should therefore plug directly into the TP design process
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales also queried whether HMRC resources could be better spent scrutinising larger entities
Grant Thornton’s Austria tax head likens his practice to an escape room, shares his football coaching ambitions, and explains why tax is cool
Awards
ITR is delighted to reveal all the shortlisted nominees for the 2025 EMEA Tax Awards
Awards
ITR is delighted to reveal all the shortlisted nominees for the 2025 Asia-Pacific Tax Awards
The fates of pillars one and two hang in the balance after the US successfully threw its weight around in G7 and Canadian negotiations
Rafael Tena tells ITR about the ‘crazy’ Mexican market, ditching the hourly rate, and refusing to grow his fledgling firm in an ‘unstructured way’
It should be easy for advisers to be transparent about costs, Brown Rudnick partner Matthew Sharp said in response to exclusive ITR in-house data
Gift this article