General Counsel provides legal and policy advice to the Secretary and other senior Departmental officials. The General Counsel also is the head of the Treasury Legal Division, a separate bureau within the Department that includes all legal counsels of the Treasury Department and their staff, with the exception of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Offices of the Inspectors General.
The Treasury Department General Counsel is a statutory officer appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the U.S. Senate. The General Counsel serves as senior legal and policy adviser to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary and other senior Departmental officials. As head of the Treasury Legal Division, the General Counsel has responsibility for all legal work in the Department. , with the exception of the legal work in the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Offices of the Inspectors General. A Principal Deputy General Counsel and a Deputy General Counsel report to the General Counsel. The Counselor to the General Counsel assists the General Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel by coordinating issues of general interest within the Legal Division and undertakes special assignments as requested by the General Counsel or the Deputy General Counsel. The General Counsel also is assisted by one or more Senior Advisors.
In Treasury Departmental Offices, senior officials reporting to the General Counsel through the Principal Deputy General Counsel and the Deputy General Counsel include:
- the Assistant General Counsel for Banking and Finance;
- the Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement and Intelligence;
- the Assistant General Counsel for General Law, Ethics and Regulation;
- the Assistant General Counsel for International Affairs;
- the International Tax Counsel; the Tax Legislative Counsel; and
- the Benefits Tax Counsel.