Use your bachelor’s degree or higher in accounting or your Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to qualify for an entry to mid-level Internal Revenue Agent (Examiner) employment opportunity.
As a Revenue Agent (Examiner), you will independently examine and investigate 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 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.
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.
A career at the IRS provides you with professional development and advancement opportunities so your career can grow with your aspirations.
Duties
The following duties describe what a Revenue Agent (Examiner) does at the full working level. The complexity of your assigned cases and the amount of supervision and guidance you will receive is based upon the grade level you are hired at and advance through to reach the full performance level of GS-12.
- Prepares audit statements with appropriate schedules and exhibits to reflect finally determined adjustments, tax liabilities, and additions on cases encompassing all types of taxpayers (e.g., individuals, corporations, partnerships, trusts, estates) engaged in all phases of economic activity where income may be derived from many sources and where several operating sub-divisions may exist. Cases involve income, profits, estate, gift, excise, and employment taxes.
- Prepares computations in Tax Court cases giving effect to the Court’s opinion and any stipulated adjustments.
- Conducts independent examinations and related investigations of income tax returns that cover a diversified spectrum of individual and business taxpayers.
- Conducts examinations of complex individual and business taxpayers involved in activities or transactions designated or structured to hide or conceal income—such as offshore activities, multiple-related entities, and other means—using a wide range of financial and other investigative skills.
- Conducts independent examinations, reviews, and related financial investigations of complex cases encompassing all types of financial institutions and non-financial trades or businesses.
- Independently conducts examination of large exempt organizations and related business entities and makes determinations on initial and continuing exempt status of these organizations. Provides technical advice and assistance on exemptions to organization representatives and other service employees.
- Reviews exempt organizations’ financial and other operating data as well as related records of business operations intended to further exempt purposes and income sources unrelated to exempt activity.
- Ensures that qualified retirement plans comply with qualification, reporting/disclosure, and excise and income tax matters.