Rebecca Harrigal to Become IRS' First Female Director of Tax-Exempt Bond Office

Rebecca Harrigal is set to become the first female director of the Internal Revenue Service’s tax-exempt bond office in October.

Harrigal has been tapped by the IRS to replace Cliff Gannett, who retired from the IRS in June. Steve Chamberlin has been acting director of TEB.

Harrigal, who has been with the IRS for almost 24 years, is expected to start in her new position on Oct. 6.

It’s likely that Chamberlin will return to his previous position as manager of compliance and program management for the TEB office in St. Louis. Chamberlin had worked closely with Gannett, who served in a supporting role for that position.

Harrigal currently is deputy associate chief counsel at the IRS for the financial institutions and products division and has been in that role since 2010. That division provides legal support to promote interpretation and enforcement of tax laws involving banks, thrifts, insurance companies, investment companies, real estate investment trusts and other financial institutions. The division also is responsible for tax laws relating to financial products and instruments developed by financial institutions, including annuities, tax-exempt bonds, options, forwards and future contracts.

“I’m very excited about this opportunity and continuing to work with tax-exempt bonds and the great people who work in that area,” Harrigal said.

In one role or another, Harrigal has worked with tax-exempt bonds for nearly two decades.

She began her career with the IRS’ chief counsel’s office in 1990 in its field service division. She was a docket attorney from 1990 through 1996.

From 1997 through 2008 she was the chief of the TEB branch in the counsel’s office. She primarily assisted with drafting guidance, private-letter rulings and technical advice memorandums.

Harrigal then became chief of the new products branch from 2008 through 2010.

Harrigal received her undergraduate degree in business with a minor in finance from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985. She received her law degree in 1988 from Georgetown University Law School. Prior to joining the office of chief counsel, Harrigal worked in the tax department at the law firm of Morgan, Lewis & Bockius.

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