By Jessica Jones-GormanStaten Island Advance, N.Y.(TNS)As the 2026 tax season gets underway, the head of the IRS announced a major shake-up, initiating personnel and operational changes intended to improve taxpayer service and modernize the agency. In a letter addressed to the agency’s 74,000 employees and viewed by The Associated Press, Frank Bisignano, CEO of the IRS, announced new priorities and a reorganization of executive leadership. Guy Ficco, head of Criminal Investigation, is set to retire and will be replaced by Jarod Koopman, who will also serve as chief tax compliance officer alongside Bisignano. Joseph Ziegler, another Hunter Biden whistleblower, was named chief of internal consulting, the letter said. Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed last year brought several changes to the tax code that could increase refunds.