Trish Turner has stepped down from her position leading the Internal Revenue Service’s crypto division. This is after approximately three months in the role.
Summary
- IRS digital assets chief Trish Turner resigns after 3 months.
- Turner joins Crypto Tax Girl as tax director amid rising crypto compliance needs.
- Her exit adds to ongoing leadership churn in the IRS’s crypto division.
The departure is another leadership change for the agency’s cryptocurrency unit. The agency has also experienced frequent turnover as it works to establish regulatory frameworks for digital asset taxation.
Turner announced her departure on Friday through LinkedIn and concluded over two decades of service with the tax agency. She cited her role in developing the IRS’s digital asset strategy during a period when cryptocurrencies transitioned from specialized investments to mainstream financial tools.
Private sector move shows crypto industry shift
Turner will join cryptocurrency tax firm Crypto Tax Girl as tax director, according to Bloomberg Tax reporting and confirmation from the company’s founder, Laura Walter.
“With all of the big crypto tax and compliance changes on the horizon, we are excited to have Trish on board to help advise our clients.”
Turner mentioned that she plans to continue working on digital asset tax issues from the private sector and also build connections between industry participants and regulators.
Crypto division faces continued instability
Turner’s brief tenure continues a pattern of leadership changes within the IRS’s crypto unit. She replaced Sulolit “Raj” Mukherjee and Seth Wilks, two private-sector experts who departed after roughly one year leading the digital assets division.
The transition comes as the agency faces pressure to develop comprehensive frameworks for digital asset compliance.
The Department of Government Efficiency proposed a 20% reduction in the IRS workforce in March, which affects the agency’s ability to maintain specialized cryptocurrency expertise.
The IRS’s supervisory duties regarding cryptocurrencies have become more complex in light of recent events. On July 4, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration suggested changes to the way the criminal investigation division handled digital assets.