July's a big month for the Internal Revenue Service.
On July 1, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln and Congress created the position of commissioner of Internal Revenue and enacted an income tax to pay Civil War expenses.
George S. Boutwell, a diplomat, congressman and former Treasury Secretary from Massachusetts, was the first person to occupy the hot seat, serving from July 17, 1862 to March 4, 1863.
And on July 9, 1953, the agency was renamed. Per Treasury Order 150-06, the Bureau of Internal Revenue became known as the Internal Revenue Service.
Happy 61st nameversary, IRS.


