Trish Turner has stepped down as the head of the United States Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) digital assets division after approximately three months in this position.
“After over 20 years with the IRS, I have concluded an incredible chapter of my career, filled with gratitude for those who influenced my journey and made my work truly meaningful,” Turner stated in a LinkedIn post on Friday.
“Together, we tackled complex challenges, established enduring programs, and paved the way for the IRS’s digital asset strategy as it transitioned from niche to mainstream,” Turner added.
Turner is reportedly transitioning to the private sector
While Turner did not specify her next destination in her post, she expressed her eagerness “to continue this mission from a new perspective and to build bridges between the industry and regulators.”
Bloomberg Tax reported on Friday that Turner mentioned in an interview with the publication that she would be taking on the role of tax director at the crypto tax firm Crypto Tax Girl. On the same day, Crypto Tax Girl founder Laura Walter announced on LinkedIn that Turner would be joining the firm.
“With significant crypto tax and compliance changes on the horizon, we are thrilled to have Trish on board to assist our clients,” Walter remarked.
Turner’s resignation comes a little over three months after she was appointed to lead the digital assets division in May, following the departure of Sulolit “Raj” Mukherjee and Seth Wilks, two private-sector experts who had led the IRS’s crypto unit for about a year.
Economist Timothy Peterson reacted to the announcement, saying, “Trish Turner left the Dark Side to become a Crypto Jedi Knight.”
Crypto tax has become a central focus in the US
This follows the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) proposal in March to reduce the IRS workforce by 20% and several recent developments surrounding US crypto taxation.
Related: 5 countries where crypto is (unexpectedly) tax-free in 2025
On July 11, Cointelegraph reported that the House Committee on Ways and Means and Oversight Subcommittee leadership announced they had scheduled a hearing in July to focus on “affirmative steps needed to establish a tax policy framework on digital assets.”
Just days prior, on July 4, the US Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration recommended reforms to the IRS criminal investigation division’s approach to digital assets, citing recurring failures to adhere to established protocols.
Additionally, on April 11, US President Donald Trump signed a joint congressional resolution overturning a Biden administration-era rule that would have required decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols to report transactions to the IRS.
Cointelegraph reached out to Trish Turner for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.
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