There was a momentous declaration by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on October 6, 2025, regarding the new leadership: Jarod Koopman was assigned as the Acting Chief Tax Compliance Officer and is going to supervise all main enforcement activities in the agency. Koopman has a good record of working on criminal investigations, cyber forensics, cryptocurrency, identity theft, and cooperation with other agencies.
Koopman is the right person to be leading the agency in the lawfulness sector and enforcement action with the IRS facing the challenge of dealing with a lot of compliance demands and, at the same time, facing a different kind of taxpayers because of the digital threats.
Who Is Jarod Koopman? Career Background and Achievements
Let us know who Jarod Koopman is:
Early Career and Foundation
- Koopman started his law enforcement career in 2002 after training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC), including success within both the Criminal Investigator Training Program and the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Special Agent Basic Training.
- Originally from Upstate New York, he graduated from Nazareth University in Rochester, New York, and through hard work and professionalism advanced rapidly in the IRS.
Leadership Positions Throughout the Country
- As Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Field Office and then as Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office, Koopman was involved in all major IRS-CI operations in the states of Michigan and Illinois.
- His leadership also included the responsibility for complicated investigations related to white-collar crime, financial fraud, and leadership for wireless teams.
- In April 2010, as a Supervisory Special Agent in NY, he was influential in establishing major investigative priorities, as well as recruiting and mentoring inexperienced agents for the future of the IRS’s investigative compliance programs.
Focus on Identity Theft & Cyber Crime
- While under assignment at IRS Headquarters, and working closely with the National Identity Theft Coordinator, he was able to assist in establishing identity theft as a national IRS priority by 2012, its inception.
- Koopman was one of a select number of Special Agents who created the IRS’s response to new electronic and cyber threats to the integrity of the US tax system.
Pioneering Cybercrime and Forensics Work
- Koopman was the designer of highly specialized teams and technologies in his dual role as Director of both IRS Cyber Crimes and Cyber and Forensics Services sections, which have established global benchmarks for cryptocurrency tracing and dark web investigations.
- Under Koopman's leadership, IRS-CI became a global leader in digital crime fighting, bridging the technology gap with criminals, and heading off threats to federal finances and taxpayer data.
Responsibilities as Chief Tax Compliance Officer
Here are Jarod’s responsibilities as a Chief Tax Compliance Officer:
Comprehensive IRS Enforcement Oversight
Koopman currently oversees critical enforcement divisions within the IRS, including:
- Large Business and International (LBI)
- Small Business/Self-Employed Division (SBSE)
- Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE)
- IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)
- Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)
- Return Preparer Office
- Whistleblower Office
In his acting capacity, Koopman coordinates cross-agency teams, brings together intelligence from different sources, and provides direction for the overall federal compliance strategy.
Enhancing Cyber and Forensic Capabilities
- Under Koopman's guidance, it is anticipated that the IRS will further enhance its capabilities in the areas of cyber crime, anti-fraud, and identity fraud protection.
- As digital currencies and digital threats continue to rearrange tax risk, Koopman's expertise in cyber forensics will be incredibly important as his work oversees modern enforcement.
Facilitating Innovation and Data Analytics
- Koopman's background suggests that enforcement priorities will likely focus on big data, machine learning, and advanced analytics, ultimately moving the IRS to a data-driven targeted compliance model.
- The agency will build the capability to not only anticipate risk and patterns more quickly, but also act with a level of efficiency that existing audit practices do not allow.
Facilitating Professional Responsibility
- Koopman’s work, oversight of OPR and Return Preparer Office, will ensure tax professionals and preparers operate within applicable professional and ethical standards and regulations, and reinforce public confidence in tax administration.
Why This Leadership Change Matters
Understand the reasons behind the change of leadership and how it impacts different people:
For Taxpayers
- Having a leader with Koopman's cybercrime experience signals that the IRS is going to enhance its digital security posture. Taxpayers should expect stronger safeguards to help against identity theft, scams, and cyber-related fraud.
- In using data analytics to enhance aspects of compliance programs, this may mean more audits of taxpayers, but, at the same time, it should offer more fairness-the compliant will have less risk of facing spotlight scrutiny.
For Tax Professionals and Tax Professional Entities
- With enhanced oversight over the Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) and the Return Preparer Office (RPO), tax preparers are going to be required to maintain high professional standards.
- Expect more continuing education (CPE) requirements, greater monitoring of PTINs, and more aggressive enforcement of ethical violations.
- Businesses involved in cross-border, digital, or cryptocurrency transactions should expect the IRS to meaningfully institute compliance review as the IRS expands on its robust compliance enforcement technology under Mr. Koopman's authority.
For Law Enforcement and Global Partners
- Koopman's experience and recognition, including published works and appearances in major media outlets (i.e., CBS 60 Minutes), will likely result in IRS being buoys, causeways, and enhanced partners with US and foreign law enforcement agencies, particularly related to transnational cyber threats, criminal laundering in tax haven jurisdictions, and attaching and confiscating financial crimes committed through and involving novel payment technologies.
- Perhaps the unique collaboration concepts pioneered by Coopman become templates for ongoing public-private partnership approaches to digital compliance and enforcement.
Supporting Leadership: Stewart Pearlman’s Role
- Furthermore, Stewart Pearlman has taken the Acting Deputy Chief position in Koopman’s office, bringing with him a decade of SBSE experience, excellent ACA team management, and knowledge of IT and SEC, as well as former COO support to the office.
- Pearlman's experience in abusive trust investigations, offers in compromise, and procurement adds another level of strategy to Koopman's plans and goals for high-quality performance within compliance, technology, and taxpayer support.
Shifting the IRS Toward a Digital Future
Here are some of the technological advancements in the IRS:
Focus on Cybersecurity
- Koopman's IRS-CI legacy signifies that the IRS is ready to invest more in protecting taxpayer data, preventing hacking efforts, and building secure infrastructure.
- Expect agency-wide effective practices with encryption, data management, zero-trust architectures, and threat detection.
Cryptocurrency and Emerging Technology
- The IRS will double down on cryptocurrency tracing, compliance, and illicit asset investigations.
- Koopman's leadership may have extended the IRS to participate in global working groups related to blockchain, digital asset taxation, and regulating technology innovation.
Challenges Koopman Will Face
- Balancing enforcement that relies on data with privacy rights and fair audit selection.
- Managing an increased IRS budget and the expectations of visible results from Congress and the public.
- Integrating legacy enforcement systems with modern digital platforms and analytics driven by AI.
- Training IRS enforcement staff and having them align with quickly evolving compliance goals.
- Developing public trust during scrutiny around fairness and transparency with enforcement.
The Next Chapter: What Taxpayers, Professionals, and Businesses Should Expect
Below are the changes that different individuals related to the IRS can expect:
- An increase in electronic notices and communications as the IRS expands modernization efforts.
- Quicker assessment of compliance with an increased chance of targeted examination, particularly in higher risk industries.
- Continued investment in taxpayer education, particularly related to cyber hygiene and best practices for compliance.
- Proactive work to combat digital and financial crime with the use of public tip submissions through the Whistleblower Office.
- Increased collaboration with the private sector (cyber experts, legal community, and technology sector) to stay ahead of growing threats.
Helpful Links
- IRS Launches Pilot for Post Appeals Mediation
- IRS Seeks Volunteers for No-Cost Tax Services 2025
- IRS to Phase Out Paper Tax Refund Checks Starting September 2025
The appointment of Jarod Koopman to the position of Acting Chief Tax Compliance Officer at the IRS is a noteworthy move forward in the tax enforcement space and IRS modernization in the United States. Kooman's deep experience in cybercrime, innovation, and senior management situates him well to spearhead the agency's efforts in combating fraud, leveraging technology, and creating a standard for a 21st-century taxpayer experience.
Under his stewardship, and with the strong support of policy advisor Stewart Pearlman, the IRS is in a position to better advance its mission of compliance, taxpayer protection, and the integrity of the tax system in the US.
Stay in touch with The Fino Partners to stay aware of all upcoming IRS updates and regulations.
