Charles Rettig

Charles Paul Rettig (born November 18, 1956) is the United States Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the head of the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  On September 12, 2018, the United States Senate confirmed Rettig's nomination to be Commissioner for the term expiring November 12, 2022.  Rettig was sworn in on October 1, 2018. 

Education
Rettig earned a BA in economics from UCLA, a JD at the Pepperdine University School of Law and an LL.M. in Taxation at the NYU School of Law. 

Pre-IRS legal career
Rettig was a partner at the Beverly Hills tax controversy law firm of Hochman, Salkin, Rettig, Toscher & Perez, P.C. He worked at the firm for over 36 years, where he represented individuals and corporations before federal and state taxing authorities.  The firm has 10 attorneys and was established in 1960. 

Rettig held leadership roles in a number of professional organizations.  He was President of the American College of Tax Counsel (ACTC); was Chair of the 4,000+ member Taxation Section of the State Bar of California from 1999–2000; was the longtime Chair of the UCLA Extension Annual Tax Controversy Institute; and most recently served as Vice-Chair, Administration, for the 12,000+ member Taxation Section of the American Bar Association.  

In 2010–2011, Rettig was appointed by the IRS to serve as Chairman of the IRS Advisory Council (IRSAC) for the last year of his three-year term.  The IRSAC's primary purpose is to provide an organized public forum for senior IRS executives and representatives of the public to discuss relevant tax administration issues. 

In his home state of California, Rettig was a longtime member of the California FTB Advisory Board.  He was designated a Certified Specialist in Taxation Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization and also designated a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law by the State Bar of California, Board of Legal Specialization.  He is a Past-Member of the Board of Trustees for the California CPA Education Foundation. 

Commissioner
On February 13, 2018, Rettig's nomination was received in the Senate and referred to the Committee on Finance. 

During his confirmation hearing before the Senate Finance Committee on June 28, 2018, Rettig "told lawmakers he would ensure that the agency is 'impartial and non-biased from top to bottom' and follows the law."  The committee approved his nomination on July 19, 2018. 

Rettig's nomination was confirmed by the full Senate by a vote of 64–33 on September 12, 2018.  Secretary Mnuchin administered the oath of office to Rettig on October 1, 2018. 

In FY 2019, the IRS plans to cut 2,200 employees.  In Rettig's FY 2020 budget request, he plans to cut an additional 1,800 employees.  Since FY 2010, staffing decreased by about 19 percent, primarily in compliance and enforcement. 

On May 21, 2019, Lloyd Doggett, a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas, called for Rettig to be jailed for not turning over President Trump's tax returns. 

Other activities
Rettig is active in numerous civic and philanthropic activities.  He co-founded the UCLA Extension Vets Count Scholarship Fund, designed to provide scholarships for active duty and retired military personnel who are working to realize their career goals in tax, accounting, wealth management, and other areas of the financial services industry as well as basic coursework for personal growth in budgeting, financial literacy, and investing.  Also, according to his official IRS bio, he's "active in the Wounded Warrior Project, Advance Guard."  The Advance Guard is a charitable "monthly giving program" in which participants donate a minimum of $19 per month by check or credit card.  According to Rettig's law firm biography on the website of his former firm, he's an associate member of the Academy of Magical Arts. 

References

Category:1956 births
Category:Living people
Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni
Category:Pepperdine University School of Law alumni
Category:New York University School of Law alumni
Category:American lawyers
Category:American civil servants
Category:Commissioners of Internal Revenue
Category:Trump administration personnel