Wagner new deputy commissioner of the IRS's Tax Exempt Division.

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) appointed Christopher Wagner as deputy commissioner of the Tax Exempt and Government Entities (TE/GE) Division. Prior to this assignment,Wagner was the deputy national taxpayer advocate.

Wagner has held numerous positions in enforcement functions within IRS, including the former Examination Division and the current Small Business/Self Employed Division, where he was involved with both examination and collection programs.

"Chris has a wealth of experience in both tax enforcement and taxpayer service," said IRS Commissioner Mark W. Everson. "He will be a valuable addition to the TE/GE leadership team."

TE/GE's three major business units--Exempt Organizations (EO), Employee Plans (EP) and Government Entities (GE)--oversee a diverse range of customers, from small volunteer community organizations to sovereign Indian tribes to large pension funds.

While these entities are not subject to federal income tax, they nonetheless represent a significant aspect of tax administration, with approximately three million entities controlling more than $11 trillion in assets and paying more than $300 billion in employment tax and income tax withholding.