By Richard Rubin 

The Senate Finance Committee said it would meet Thursday to consider President Donald Trump's pick to run the Internal Revenue Service.

Charles Rettig, a California tax lawyer who specializes in defending wealthy clients in complex cases, is poised to get one of the most thankless jobs in government.

If confirmed, he would implement the new tax law and oversee an enforcement division that has gotten smaller and started fewer audits as Congress limited its budget.

Mr. Rettig also will face the challenge of overseeing the tax compliance of Mr. Trump, who has refused to release his tax returns and complained about unfair audits.

Mr. Rettig's nomination breaks with the practice by recent presidents of choosing IRS commissioners with experience managing large organizations rather than tax expertise.

The committee hasn't yet scheduled a hearing for Mr. Trump's other IRS pick. Michael Desmond, also a California tax lawyer, would be the IRS chief counsel, leading the agency's lawyers.

Write to Richard Rubin at richard.rubin@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 22, 2018 18:11 ET (22:11 GMT)