Use your experience in business, finance, and investigation, or your bachelor’s degree or higher (any major) to qualify for an entry-level IRS Revenue Officer employment opportunity.
As a Revenue Officer, you will conduct tax related civil enforcement investigations, and will be trained in tax law, collection, and civil investigative techniques, to collect delinquent taxes and tax returns. You’ll protect taxpayers’ rights, counsel taxpayers on their obligations, and assist taxpayers in complying with our country’s tax laws. Most of your work is in the field, where you will interact with taxpayers, taxpayer representatives, and third parties at their residences and/or places of business.
As an IRS employee, you’ll enjoy all the rights and benefits of federal employment. At the same time, you’ll have that sense of public service, knowing that the support you provide to taxpayers will contribute to everything from funding domestic programs to the defense of our nation.
In addition to comprehensive classroom training and on-the-job training, you will be provided career development and advancement opportunities so your career can grow with your aspirations. Other IRS employment opportunities include jobs such as Revenue Agent and Criminal Investigator (Special Agent). These types of jobs are all within your grasp, depending upon the experience you gain in the agency and any additional education that you might attain while an employee.
Duties
- Provides customer service by respecting and explaining the taxpayer’s rights and IRS policies and procedures. Customer service is based upon learning, interpreting, and applying policies and procedures, regulations, court decisions, state and local laws, and various Titles of the United States Code.
- Collects delinquent tax and secures delinquent returns from taxpayers who have not resolved their obligations in response to prior correspondence or other contact. Conducts interviews with taxpayers (and/or their representatives) in different environments—such as the business location, residence, or office—as part of the investigative process of collecting delinquent taxes and securing delinquent tax returns.
- Performs credit and financial analysis of the taxpayer’s financial records to determine the taxpayer’s financial condition and ability to pay outstanding tax obligations and prevent future delinquencies. Analyzes financial information and evaluates assets. Applies expense standards and provides guidance on a wide range of financial alternatives to assist taxpayers in identifying options that could assist in resolving delinquent tax obligations, including installment agreements, offers in compromise, or suspending collection action. For business taxpayers, analyzes financial statements that include balance sheets, income statements, and profit and loss statements.
- Performs financial investigations in situations where taxpayers are unwilling to be forthcoming concerning assets and sources of income. Searches public records, tax returns, and financial and credit information to locate distrainable assets. Summonses taxpayer records and other financial information from the taxpayer and financial institutions or other third parties. Confers with internal and external advisors, analysts, or attorneys (e.g., Counsel or Department of Justice) regarding case development, issue determination, case processing, and coordination. Develops a feasible plan of action to resolve the case.
Plans and takes appropriate enforcement actions to secure an assessment of past due returns, such as summonsing tax records. Takes appropriate enforced collection action, such as levies, redemptions, seizures, nominee liens, judicial actions, or fraud investigation. Conducts trust fund recovery penalty investigations; evaluates willfulness, responsibility, and authority; and recommends penalty assessments. Prepares affidavits, statements, and testimony for court cases, such as summons enforcement or seizure action. Files and releases federal tax liens.
Qualifications
Federal experience is not required to qualify for any of the grade levels identified below. You will qualify for one of the following opportunities based on your specialized experience and/or education.
Experience for the GS-7 grade level
You must have one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty that includes experience in business organization and commercial practices; knowledge of investigative techniques and methods, and the ability to apply such techniques to the analysis of business and financial matters; practical knowledge of business law, including laws governing fraudulent transfers, secured and unsecured debts, negotiable instruments, business corporations, and survivorship rights and titling instruments; knowledge of delinquent loan collection processes and techniques; working knowledge of accounting principles and practices; and knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code and related federal tax regulations and procedures.
OR You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows for this GS-7 grade level:
Superior Academic Achievement may be met by having a bachelor’s degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last two (2) years of study, a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in the major field of study or those courses in the major completed in the last two (2) years of study, or rank in the upper one-third of the class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.
OR You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: One (1) academic year of graduate education in a field of study such as business administration (e.g., finance, accounting, auditing, marketing, and business law), law, economics, criminology, political science, government, public administration, or another related field.
OR A combination of experience and education.
Experience for the GS-9 grade level
To qualify at this grade level, you must have federal tax collection specialized experience OR you may substitute education for specialized experience as follows for this GS-9 grade level:
- Master’s or equivalent degree or two (2) full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a related field of study such as business administration (e.g., finance, accounting, auditing, marketing, and business law), law, economics, criminology, political science, government, public administration, or another related field; OR
- LL.B. or J.D., if related; OR
- A combination of experience and education.
Experience for the GS-11 grade level
To qualify at this grade level, you must have federal tax collection specialized experience OR you may substitute education for specialized experience as follows for this GS-11 grade level: