Melanie Krause

Melanie Krause is an American government official who served as acting Commissioner of Internal Revenue from February to April 2025.

Early life and education Krause attended the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and received three degrees, including a Ph.D. in nursing in 2010. Her first job out of school was as a registered nurse at an assisted living facility.

Career

Krause started her career in the government as an auditor of healthcare for the GAO, and then spent seven years working at the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

Krause resigned less than two months later on April 8, 2025. She did so in protest over a data sharing agreement between the IRS and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allowing disclosure of confidential immigrant tax information. This agreement was signed by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Krause was left out of the discussions and had no input. She learned about the agreement after the information had been sent to Fox News.

Personal life Krause acknowledged that she "moved up so quickly" in the government workplace. She opined that the vigor of her nursing training enabled her to "get up to speed quickly and hit the ground running" and "to climb the ranks in the federal government.” She has maintained her license as a registered nurse.