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Use your bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting or your Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and your experience to qualify for an Internal Revenue Agent (Examiner) employment opportunity.

As a Revenue Agent (Examiner) at the GS-14 grade level, you will independently examine and investigate significant tax compliance issues involving complex income tax returns filed by individuals or organizations. Revenue Agents (Examiners) are known for their ability to accomplish comprehensive analytical examinations of tax returns to determine tax liability and violations of Federal tax statutes and to make fair and impartial recommendations for criminal prosecution and civil penalties. You’ll use your skills and knowledge to perform professional accounting work, as well as provide expert accounting and financial management advice and assistance to higher levels of management. You’ll examine accounting and financial information systems that reflect a variety of complex financial operations, including serving as a team lead.

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 your accounting and auditing responsibilities contribute to everything from funding domestic programs to the defense of our nation.

• Serves as a technical expert in examinations of significant tax compliance issues and provides expert advice that may impact tax compliance strategy and the examination program.
• Serves as a technical expert in the performance of tax computations in cases with significant tax compliance issues and provides expert advice that may impact tax compliance strategy and the Appeals program as a whole. Cases typically concern large, complex businesses, including those with extensive subsidiaries, diversified activities, multiple partners, and national and international scope of operations.
• Serves as an issue expert in the examination of Large Business and International returns. Exercises significant authority and responsibility in planning, directing, and coordinating the examination of certain significant complex issues.
• As a technical expert on Small Business Self Employed and Large Business and International program guidelines and policies, interprets, develops, adapts, and coordinates analytical reviews of new policies, procedures, and program requirements of the Service and their impact on Compliance operations and resources. Advises and negotiates acceptance of conflicting issues with management in the formulation of Compliance policies. Applies and disseminates newly developed or revised policies and procedures for use in field operations.
• Serves as a technical expert on significant issues relative to the Exempt Organizations specialty. Provides technical guidance on examination and determination of exempt status activity relative to exempt organizations including private foundations, cooperatives, and relevant business entities. The incumbent provides expert advice that potentially impacts the organization's overall tax compliance strategy and the Exempt Organization Examination and Rulings and Agreement programs.
• Serves as a lead for other Revenue Agents (Examiners) and specialists assigned to an examination and counsel attorneys. Leads the team in conferences with appeals, including issue resolution meetings—such as fast track. May be assigned to multiple examinations simultaneously.
• Leads national analysis of tax computational issues involving significant tax transactions related to specific taxpayers or across taxpayer, industry, and international boundaries. May plan, implement, control, modify, and execute all or parts of a national project or assignment associated with certain tax computational areas of specialization.

Federal experience is not required. Your experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector, or Volunteer Service.

Basic Educational Requirement: A Certificate as a CPA or a bachelor's or higher degree in accounting that included at least 30 semester hours in accounting or 24 semester hours in accounting and an additional 6 semester hours in related subjects such as business law, economics, statistical/quantitative methods, computerized accounting or financial systems, financial management, or finance.

OR

A bachelor's or higher degree in a field other than accounting or a combination of education and experience equivalent to 4 years that included at least 30 semester hours in accounting or 24 semester hours in accounting and 6 semester hours in related subjects as described above.

In addition to meeting the basic educational requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the Specialized Experience requirement listed below:

Specialized Experience: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the work performed at the GS-13 level. This is defined as progressively responsible and diversified professional accounting or auditing work that required: 

• Experience in applying professional accounting principles, concepts, and methodology in the examination of accounting books, records and systems; and
• Knowledge of business and trade practices to analyze business operations and financial conditions; and
• Experience in interacting effectively in a wide range of situations with a broad range of individuals; and
• Experience in interpreting and applying tax law for at least one of the following specialties: individuals; business; employee plans or retirement plans; exempt organizations; tax advantaged municipal finance transactions or tax exempt bonds; Indian Tribal Governments and Employment Tax issues for Federal State and Local governments; or large complex business transactions and returns pertaining to the application of tax principles, policies, and legal decisions for business taxpayers' international and transfer pricing issues.

This position’s starting salary varies depending upon grade level and location. Please see the “How to Apply” section below to access the official Job Opportunity Announcement and salary information. Employees receive the full package of federal employment benefits, which includes health and insurance plans, a generous annual and sick leave program, and participation in the Thrift Savings Plan, which is a retirement plan similar to a traditional 401(k).

A monetary recruitment incentive has been authorized for eligible, highly qualified individuals. 

Click this site’s APPLY link to access the official Revenue Agent (Examiner) GS-14 Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA). You will learn exactly how to submit your application package, including your resume, an online assessment questionnaire, and possibly other documents. You will also learn about duty locations, telework eligibility, U.S. citizenship, maximum entry age, medical, and other requirements that should be reflected in the information you provide in your resume.