The Treasury Department this week announced the appointment of Jose Murillo as deputy assistant secretary (DAS) for international tax affairs in the Office of Tax Policy, a role that will have a slightly different portfolio in the Biden administration than it has in the past.
Itai Grinberg was recently named as DAS for multilateral tax, a new role in which he is expected to serve as the lead staff member for ongoing negotiations through the OECD/G20 on changes to international tax rules, as well as in other multilateral discussions. Murillo, for his part, is expected to focus on Treasury guidance and regulations in the international tax arena, including those related to changes from the 2017’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Previously, the DAS for international tax handled all of these matters, but the high stakes and broad scope of the OECD talks has meant an increased workload, resulting in the creation of Grinberg’s job.
Murillo and Grinberg have both served at Treasury before, overlapping during both the George W. Bush administration and the Obama administration in the Office of the International Tax Counsel. Most recently, Murillo was the director of the International Tax and Transaction Services practice in EY’s National Tax Department, while Grinberg was a law professor at Georgetown University.
Adeyemo nomination clears Finance Committee
Meanwhile, the Senate Finance Committee on March 3 unanimously advanced the nomination of Adewale “Wally” Adeyemo for deputy Treasury secretary. His confirmation is expected to receive a vote by the full Senate the week of March 8. Adeyemo formerly served as a deputy director of the National Economic Council and as a deputy national security adviser for international economics in the Obama administration. (For coverage of Adeyemo’s confirmation hearing at the Finance Committee, see Tax News & Views, Vol. 22, No. 8, Feb. 27, 2021.)
Key tax posts remain unfilled
President Biden has not yet announced a nominee to serve as Treasury assistant secretary for tax policy. Mark Mazur was recently named deputy assistant secretary for tax policy and reportedly is expected to serve as acting assistant secretary until someone is nominated by the administration and confirmed by the Senate.
The administration also has not yet named its picks for Treasury general counsel or IRS chief counsel.
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