IRS resignations could be a protest

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

IRS resignations could be a protest

Three top-level officials in the US Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) LB&I department have resigned in the space of one week, leading tax professionals to question whether the moves are a response to some kind of internal restructuring.

Mike Danilak announced his resignation, effective from July 2. Shortly after Danilak’s announcement, Samuel Maruca also resigned, effective from August 1. And Diana Wollman, director of strategy and reporting to Danilak, has also handed in her resignation.

Three high-level resignations in such a short space of time can surely not be coincidence.

On Tuesday it was also announced that LB&I’s top domestic person also was leaving - Laura Prendergast, the LB&I acting deputy commissioner. 

“Something has happened but I don’t know what,” said one adviser. “I’m sure it will come out in time. Whatever it is, it’s not good. The departing international officials, in particular, have a done a very good job and will be missed. It’s also not a good time for these high-level departures given all the BEPS stuff that’s going on.”

Douglas O'Donnell, LB&I assistant deputy commissioner will take over for Danilak in the interim.

 

more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

An OECD report has uncovered a lack of public trust in politicians as a source for tax information. Banning them from owning shares in companies could boost confidence
‘We did not expect to carve out big economies from the minimum tax system’, Estonia’s finance minister said; in other news, Blick Rothenberg has acquired The Vat Consultancy
The proposal seeks to regulate compulsory TP documentation in line with the OECD Transfer Pricing Guidelines and simplify filing requirements
Despite the decline in profitability, the firm’s tax advisory business delivered a 3.4% revenue growth
Firms are making use of inventories and ample profit margins to avoid or absorb the initial impact of higher tariffs, an OECD report said
While UN proposals to shift airline taxation from a residence-based system to a source-state one are not set in stone, ex-British Airways CEO Willie Walsh warns they would increase costs and complexity
Von Wobeser y Sierra’s head of tax shares best practices for resolving tax controversy and touts his firm’s founding partner as an exemplar of legal practice
ITR concludes its analysis of World Tax’s rankings for 2026 by highlighting the firms that stood out most on a global scale
Experts from law firm Kennedys outline the key tax disputes trends set to define 2026, ranging from increased enforcement to continued tariff drama and AI usage
They also warned against an ‘unnecessary duplication of efforts’ in UN tax convention negotiations; in other news, White & Case has hired Freshfields’ former French tax head
Gift this article