IRS crypto unit names Trish Turner as new leader amid policy shifts: report

IRS veteran Trish Turner has been appointed to lead the agency’s crypto unit, following the exit of two key private-sector hires who helped build the office’s crypto oversight.

Trish Turner, a longtime IRS official, has taken over the agency’s crypto unit following the departure of two private-sector executives who played key roles in shaping the office’s crypto enforcement and regulation, Bloomberg Tax has learned, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Sulolit “Raj” Mukherjee and Seth Wilks, who co-led the Office of Digital Assets, both left after just over a year with the agency. the report reads, without specifying the reason for their exit. Mukherjee, who was the executive director of compliance and implementation, confirmed his departure to Bloomberg, while Wilks, the executive director of digital asset strategy and development, announced his exit on LinkedIn.

The IRS has been intensifying its focus on cryptocurrencies in recent years, with increased audits and criminal cases targeting taxpayers’ crypto holdings. The agency also introduced crypto broker rules, which have faced significant backlash from the industry for being too broad.

Turner, who has been with the IRS for over two decades, most recently served as a senior adviser within the Digital Assets office. Her appointment comes at a time when the second Trump administration is expected to adopt a more crypto-friendly stance.

In the midst of these changes, more than 23,000 IRS employees signaled their desire to leave after the Trump administration again offered a deferred resignation option, the report notes.