Individual Taxpayer Advisory Specialist

Internal Revenue Service • Wailuku, HI

13d

About The Position

The Individual Taxpayer Advisory Specialist works in Taxpayer Services, within the CARE—Customer Assistance, Relationship and Education unit. The role involves interviewing taxpayers to understand their tax situations, advising them, and explaining the likely consequences of available courses of action for the current and other tax years. The specialist discusses tax law with tax practitioners and accountants and reviews books and records to understand taxpayers’ financial status, including cash- or accrual-basis accounting. They explain issues involving tax law, regulations, notices, and account adjustments, and assist taxpayers in meeting their federal tax obligations across individual income, excise, employment, and certain other taxes. The role also includes helping taxpayers prepare returns and explaining collection and examination processes. Training is provided to support learning and development in the position.

Requirements

• For the Grade 11 specialized-experience path, one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-09 grade level, including experience with relationships between federal and state laws; researching tax law in publications and the Internal Revenue Code; independently explaining tax law, taxpayer rights, and applicable IRM policies and procedures; applying tax laws and regulations to individual cases; resolving taxpayer accounts and making correct tax determinations and adjustments; interviewing taxpayers to determine assistance needs; instructing face-to-face or virtually; maintaining effective relationships; making oral presentations and producing written products; and communicating orally and in writing in person, by telephone, and through web-based computer applications.
• As an alternative to the specialized-experience path for Grade 11, a related Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, three full academic years of progressively higher-level related graduate education leading to such a degree, a related LL.M., or a qualifying combination of graduate education and experience.
• Current civilian employees must meet the time-after-competitive-appointment requirement: at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, by the applicable announcement deadline or cutoff date.
• Applicants for positions above GS-05 must meet applicable time-in-grade requirements; one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade level is required for the grade applied for.
• Education used to qualify must generally be from an accredited or pre-accredited college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be shown to be equivalent to a conventional U.S. education program.
• Obtain and use a government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
• A probationary period may be required; employees transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned before completing it must complete the remainder in the new position.

Responsibilities

• Interview taxpayers to determine their tax situations, provide advice, and explain probable consequences of available courses of action.
• Discuss the impact of tax law with tax practitioners and accountants.
• Review books and records to understand taxpayers’ financial status, including cash- or accrual-basis accounting.
• Explain issues involving the applicability of tax law, regulations, notices, and account adjustments to taxpayers or their representatives.
• Assist and advise taxpayers in meeting federal tax obligations across individual income, excise, employment, and certain other taxes.
• Assist taxpayers in preparing tax returns and explain the consequences of courses of action.
• Explain tax collection and examination processes to taxpayers.

Benefits

• Alternative work schedules and staggered work hours may be available.
• The announcement refers applicants to IRS employee benefits information but does not specify individual benefit offerings.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed