Guide Note

The Internal Revenue Service is the United States agency responsible for collecting taxes.

Fast Facts

1. Formerly called the Bureau of Internal Revenue
2. A division of the U.S. Department of the Treasury
3. Commissioner: Douglas Shulman
4. Headquarters: Washington, DC
5. Publishes the Internal Revenue Bulletin

1. Large and Mid-Size Business
2. Small Business/Self-Employed
3. Wage and Investment
4. Tax Exempt and Government Entities
5. Criminal Law Enforcement

1. 1862: Abraham Lincoln creates tax to fund Civil War; establishes Bureau of Internal Revenue
2. 1913: 16th Amendment makes income tax constitutional
3. 1953: Name officially changed to Internal Revenue Service
4. 1950s: Switches to employee system instead of patronage
5. 1998: Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act passed by Congress splits IRS into new divisions
6. 2006: IRS headquarters closes for several months due to flooding