Clarification from the agency

Open to U.S. Citizens/Nationals

The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. If this vacancy includes more than one grade and you are selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform these duties and receive training to help you grow in this position.

• Conducts interviews with taxpayers to determine their tax situation, provide advice, and explains probable consequences of various courses of action open to taxpayers for the current and other tax years.
• Discusses tax law impact with tax practitioners and accountants, review books and records to gain understanding of taxpayer's financial status (cash/accrual basis).
• Confers with taxpayers and/or their representatives to explain issues involving the applicability of tax law, regulations, notices and account adjustments.
• Assists taxpayers in preparing tax returns and explains the consequences of courses of action. Explains to taxpayers the collection and examination processes.
• Prepares tax returns that include referring to required documentation, such as information reporting documents and limited schedules.

STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD): PD96320, PD96321, and PD96322
Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.

Conditions of employment

• Probationary Period - All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.
• Government Credit Card - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.

Key Eligibility Requirements:

• U.S Citizenship - Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
• Selective Service Registration - Males born after December 31, 1959 are required to be registered with the Selective Service System or prove they are exempt from having to do so.
• Personal Identity Verification (PIV) - Must provide 2 forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. These documents must be unexpired original or certified copies.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS OR ADDTIONAL INFORMATION SECTIONS

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. Experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or through Volunteer Service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-timework is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

QUALIFICATION REQUIRMENTS:
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement

GENERAL EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION FOR GS-05: You must have three years of general experience, one year of which was at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-04 in the Federal Service. General experience for this position includes:

• Analyzing problems to identify significant factors;
• Gathering pertinent data and recognizing solutions;
• Planning and organizing work;
• Communicating effectively both orally and in writing. Such experience may have been gained in administrative, professional, technical, investigative, or other responsible work.

OR You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION FOR GS-07: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Experience with business practices, basic accounting principles, and Federal tax laws and regulations;
• Analyzing systems and bookkeeping, using fact-finding techniques, and developing interpersonal skills;
• Using web-based computer applications, software, and communications needed to provide tax filing assistance to the taxpayer;
• Utilizing interviewing techniques and conducting interviews to convey information and elicit facts while maintaining a professional demeanor;

OR You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: 1 year of graduate education in a field of study such as: business administration, finance, accounting, auditing, taxation, or other related fields.

OR Superior Academic Achievement may be met by having a Bachelor's degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 2.95 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last 2 years of study, or a GPA of 3.45 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 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. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

OR A combination of qualifying graduate education and experience equivalent to that described above.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE/EDUCATION FOR GS-09: You must have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Understanding of the regulations and administrative procedures related to the full range of personal, business, and other tax-related issues
• Interpreting and applying rules and regulations;
• Interviewing others to elicit facts to identify and resolve problems;
• Communicating with others to elicit facts to identify and resolve complex problems;
• Analyzing financial documents, such as financial accounts, tax returns, financial statements, etc., to reconcile factual differences or to reconstruct missing facts, and;
• Deciding whether actions are in compliance with statutory provisions and/or procedural and policy requirements.

OR You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: a master's or equivalent graduate degree in a field of study such as: accounting, finance, or business administration.

OR Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a graduate degree in a field of study such as: accounting, finance, business administration or public administration.

OR LL.B. or J.D., if related.

AND
You must also meet the following requirements:

• MINIMUM AGE REQUIREMENT: Minimum age for federal employment is 18 years old, or at least 16 years old and have:
  • Graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or
  • Completed a formal vocational training program; or
  • Received a statement from school authorities agreeing with your preference for employment rather than continuing your education.

For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):

• Accountability
• Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

The USA Hire Assessments includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Rating: Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories, CAT A, CAT B or CAT C.

Referral: Eligible applicants rated in the highest category group, may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. Candidates, if required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring practices), will be interviewed in category group order. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Qualified preference eligibles who have a compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more (CPS, CP) are placed at the top of the highest category on the referral list (except for scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Remaining preference eligibles are placed above non-preference eligibles within their assigned category.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP), you must receive a rating of category CAT B to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

If you are selected, you will be subject to all requirements listed in the Requirements, Qualifications, and Additional Information sections of this announcement which includes, Prior Employment/Tax Checks, Fingerprint/Criminal History checks.

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
Incomplete or insufficient information may result in not being considered for the position, or not receiving special consideration for which you may be eligible.
Please view Application Preparation or How to write a resume for federal job.

1. Resume
… Your resume should:

• Be limited to two (2) pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration. We recommend utilizing a standard 8.5x11-inch document size, a sans-serif font such as Arial or Calibri with a font size no smaller than 10-point for the main text, and page margins of 0.5 inches. Applicants that attempt to circumvent the 2-page limit page limit, for example by materially reducing readability, will be deemed ineligible. If you update your application, only the most recent resume received (uploaded under the "Resume" document type) will be considered to determine qualifications.
• Include your name and contact information.
• Include relevant work experience - Employer Name, Job Title, Employment dates (start to end date or present), number of hours worked per week, and a brief description of duties that clearly demonstrate your qualifications. To receive full credit for work experience, you must include specific MM/DD/YYYY start and end dates for every position.
• Include pay plan, series, and grade (e.g., GS-0301-09) for all federal service jobs.
• Not include photographs, classified or sensitive information, SSN, encrypted/digitally signed documents, or other inappropriate content. Resumes containing prohibited information will be deemed ineligible.
• Not include embedded links as they will not be opened or considered when determining qualifications.
• Not include personal information such as age, sex, religion, race, or disability.
• Not include specialized experience copied from the announcement or position description, as this is not a demonstration of your experience.

2. Education (if applicable) - Refer to Qualification and Education sections above for requirements

• For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position based on education or training, submit a copy of your transcript(s) or equivalent. An official transcript(s) will be required if you are selected.

3. Registration/License (if applicable) - Current, active registration/license

4. Veterans' Preference (if applicable)

• MUST submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge.
• If you are serving under active duty, provide certification from the Armed Forces that you will be discharged or released within 120 days from the date of certification. The certification must indicate your dates of service, rank and that you will be separated under honorable conditions.
• 10-point preference eligible - Submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the form if you are a 10-point preference eligible. For more information on claiming veterans' preference view here.

5. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) (if applicable) Selection priority program for displaced or surplus federal employees:

• Review and submit the required documentation as oulined under CTAP/ICTAP

6. Current and Former Federal Employees Documentation (if applicable)

• Submit a copy of your most recent SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action) or equivalent personnel action form which shows your grade and competitive service status.

Next steps