Trish Turner has stepped down as head of the United States Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) digital assets division, leaving the role after just three months.
Key Takeaways:
- IRS digital assets chief Trish Turner resigned after just three months and will join Crypto Tax Girl as tax director.
- Her departure comes amid growing scrutiny of the IRS’s handling of crypto taxation and calls for clearer policy frameworks.
- Turner’s move reflects a wider trend of senior regulators transitioning into crypto advisory roles as the industry faces major compliance shifts.
Turner announced her departure in a LinkedIn post on Friday, reflecting on her two-decade career at the agency.
“After more than 20 years with the IRS, I have closed an extraordinary chapter of my career with deep appreciation for those who shaped my journey and made the work so meaningful,” she wrote.
Turner Vows to Bridge Gap Between Industry and Regulators
Turner added that she looked forward to “building bridges between industry and regulators” from a new position outside the agency.
Bloomberg Tax later reported that Turner will join Crypto Tax Girl, a private tax advisory firm, as its new tax director.
Founder Laura Walter confirmed the appointment, saying Turner’s expertise will help clients navigate the growing list of compliance challenges.
“With all of the big crypto tax and compliance changes on the horizon, we are excited to have Trish on board,” Walter said.
Her resignation comes at a critical moment for U.S. crypto taxation. The IRS has been under increasing pressure to modernize its digital asset strategy, following repeated criticism from lawmakers and watchdog agencies over its handling of crypto-related investigations.
Turner herself was only appointed in May, following the departures of Sulolit “Raj” Mukherjee and Seth Wilks, who left the division after roughly a year.
The shake-up coincides with heightened congressional scrutiny. Last month, the House Committee on Ways and Means announced a hearing on how to establish a clear tax framework for digital assets.
Earlier in July, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration recommended reforms to the IRS’s criminal investigation unit, citing failures to follow protocols in crypto cases.
Meanwhile, the broader regulatory environment has shifted under the Trump administration.
In April, the president signed a resolution overturning a Biden-era rule that would have required decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to report user transactions to the IRS.
Turner’s move to the private sector highlights the ongoing migration of senior government officials into crypto-focused firms, as the industry braces for sweeping changes in U.S. tax and compliance policy.
IRS Ramps Up Crypto Tax Crackdown With Surge in Warning Letters
As reported, the IRS has intensified its scrutiny of crypto investors in the United States, sending out a wave of warning letters over the past two months.
Tax experts say the letters point to growing enforcement efforts after the agency flagged discrepancies in filings linked to digital asset transactions.
CoinLedger, a crypto tax filing platform, said it received nearly 800 customer support queries about IRS letters between May and June, nine times more than the same period in 2024.
Tax attorneys have also seen a spike in outreach, with some firms now fielding multiple calls each week from concerned clients, compared to little or no activity last year.
The campaign recalls earlier IRS crackdowns in 2020 and 2021, when the agency issued widespread compliance letters after obtaining exchange data, including records from Coinbase.
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