IRS Internal Recent Graduate Program Internal Revenue Agent

Duties

The IRS Internal Recent Graduates Program affords a developmental opportunity to IRS employees, who have graduated within the previous 2 years from a qualifying educational institution or program. In addition, the IRS implemented the new IRS Recent Graduate Program that includes an additional year of formal development, training, networking, project teams, and may include rotational assignments.

Upon successful completion of the program requirements, you will be permanently placed at the grade level within the position's career path, not higher than the full-working level of the position selected, to which you meet qualifications and time-in-grade requirements. If for any reason do not successfully complete the program you will be returned to the previous grade of the same or similar position you previously held within IRS prior to being selected for the Recent Graduates Program. Program requirements include but are not limited to:

• Successful completion of at least 1 to 2 years of continuous service depending on the position;

• Completion of at least 40 hours of interactive training;

• Mentorship;

• Demonstration of successful job performance; and

• Meet the qualification position standards.

If selected, you will be placed in a developmental position as a Internal Revenue Agent 0512-GS-7, GS-9 with promotion potential to GS-12 in one the division(s) listed below:

Large Business & International Division (LB&I)

A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions

The following are the duties of this position at the full working level.

• Conducts independent examinations and related investigations of complex income tax returns filed by individuals or business/organizational entities. Examinations may also contain special audit features or anticipated accounting, tax law, or investigative issues of more than usual difficulty or complexity.
  
  LB&I must review full books and records because these cases are above $10 million threshold. LB&I requires large team audits, requiring detailed coordination and advisement with other staff.

• 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, and or foreign multiple related entities and other means using a wide range of financial and other investigative skills.

• Identifies issues to be pursued based on large, unusual, missing, or questionable items which produce significant tax or compliance effect and utilizes the appropriate tax law and facts needed to resolve them. Recognizes indicators of fraudulent activity and develops appropriate referrals.
  
  Applies appropriate standard accounting methods and techniques during the course of examinations in order to develop information regarding the income and financial operations of taxpayers. Determines and utilizes the most appropriate accounting methods. Formulates an appropriate alternative method of determining income and expenses when ordinary accounting methods are not available, which varies due to the complexity of the entities.

This position has career progression. If you are selected at a grade level lower than the full working level, you may be non-competitively promoted as your career progresses. For example, you may be hired as a GS-05, but if the position has career progression to GS-11, then you may move from a GS-05 to a GS-11 in as little as three years.

Help

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD):

PD23449 and PD23448

Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.

• Telework Eligible Positions: Telework eligible positions do not guarantee telework.
  
  Employees must meet and sustain IRS telework eligibility requirements (e.g., reporting at least twice a pay period to your assigned Post of Duty (POD)) and supervisor's approval to participate in the IRS Telework Program. Employees must also be within a 200-mile radius of their official assigned post-of-duty (POD) while in a telework status. As a reminder

• If you are selected for a position, you are responsible for reporting to your designated POD (location) on the negotiated start date or as directed by management.

• All selectees must sign a Participant Agreement.
• A 1-year probationary period is required (unless already completed).

Qualifications

Federal experience is not required. The experience may have been gained in the public sector, private sector or 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/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

In order to qualify, you must first meet IRS Recent Graduate Program eligibility:

You must have, within the previous 2 years, completed all educational requirements for a qualifying associate, bachelor, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying institution; or intended graduation is no more than 9 months from date of application;

• OR-

Veterans (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2108) who, due to a military service obligation, were precluded from applying to a Recent Graduates Program during any portion of the 2-year eligibility period may have their eligibility period extended so that they receive the full 2 years of eligibility. The remaining 2-year eligibility period will begin upon his or her release or discharge from active duty. The veteran's eligibility period may not extend beyond 6 years from the date of completion of all requirements of an academic course of study.

Secondly, you must meet any basic requirements of the position and the experience requirements described in the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions, Accounting and Budget.

BASIC REQUIREMENT OR INDIVIDUAL OCCUPATIONAL REQUIREMENT:

A Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (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.

AND

Specialized Experience GS-07: You must have 1 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 in or related to accounting or auditing that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. This experience must have been acquired in a federal or business environment and must be sufficient to demonstrate: 1) knowledge of and skill in applying the principles, concepts and methodology of professional accounting and related fields and 2) skill in communicating and dealing effectively with others. Qualifying experience may have been in accounting, auditing, tax, financial, legal, or other work that required the knowledge and skill defined above.

OR

Candidates must complete one full year of graduate level education in a field of study such as accounting, business, finance, law, economics, management, statistical/quantitative methods or computer science.

OR

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 2 years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in your major field of study or those courses in your major completed in the last 2 years of study, or rank in the upper one third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.

Specialized Experience GS-09: You must have 1 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 Experience in accounting, auditing, tax, financial, legal or other work that required 1) knowledge of and skill in applying the principles, concepts and methodology of professional accounting and related fields and 2) skill in communicating and dealing effectively with others. Qualifying experience is accounting work that includes the design, development, operation or inspection of accounting systems; the prescription of accounting standards, policies and requirements; the examination, analysis and interpretation of accounting data, records or reports; and the provision of accounting or financial management advice and assistance to management. Work could also include developing comprehensive accounting and financial information systems in concert with recognized accounting theory and practices as taught in academic institutions and promulgated by accounting standards boards, professional accounting organizations and the Comptroller General.

Experience can include work, which included operating, maintaining, improving and evaluating established systems. Day-to-day accounting system operation and maintenance work should address the adequacy of system design, the adequacy of current data in providing financial information or ways to use the system to satisfy new information requirements. Professional accounting work must have been creative, analytical, evaluative and interpretive.

Office auditing of various types of tax returns to determine tax liability of individual taxpayers, businesses, or corporations. Interpreting and applying pertinent parts of the Internal Revenue Code and related regulations and procedures to:(1) conduct comprehensive analytical examinations, (2) use creative in-office factfinding techniques, and (3) develop effective public contact skills. Making determination and redetermination, or audit, on liability for Federal taxes.

Program evaluation, internal audit or administrative management of the assessment and collection of Federal taxes (other than alcohol and tobacco). Investigating alleged criminal violations of Federal tax statutes and making recommendations for criminal prosecution and assertion of civil penalties. Collecting delinquent federal taxes including canvassing for unreported taxes due and securing delinquent returns.

OR

A course of study that includes two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, leading to a master's degree, in accounting or related field of business, finance, law, economics, management, statistical/quantitative methods or computer science.

OR

A master's degree in accounting or related field of business, finance, law, economics, management, statistical/quantitative methods or computer science.

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

Education

This position has an education requirement. You MUST submit dated documentation showing completion or intended completion of all educational requirements (e.g. letter from the registrar, unofficial transcripts). An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements.

You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.

CERTIFICATE: A Certificate program is a post-secondary educational program, in a qualifying educational institution, equivalent to at least one full- time academic year of study, that is part of an accredited college-level, technical, trade, vocational or business school curriculum.

Additional information

• Pathways in an Excepted Service Appointment, Schedule D, 5 CFR Part 362. Selected applicants who occupy positions in the Competitive Service must acknowledge the outcome of voluntarily leaving the Competitive Service prior to accepting an Excepted Service Appointment in a Pathways Program. See 5 CFR 302.102(b)(2).

• All selectees must sign a Participant Agreement.

• An official transcript must be provided to confirm degree completion prior to appointment to the position.

• Subject to a 1-year trial period (unless already completed).

• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.

• We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. Additional jobs may be filled.

• The salary range indicated in this announcement reflects the minimum locality pay up to maximum locality pay for all duty locations listed. The range will be adjusted for selected duty location. General Schedule locality pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

• This is a bargaining unit position.

• Tour of Duty: Day Shift hours ranging from 6:00am to 6:00pm

• Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours or telework may be available.

• In the event that a building is closed due to rent management, new hires may be placed in a local commuting location.

• The employment of any candidate selected for this position, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.

• This is an excepted service appointment and will be made for a specified period of time as identified in this job announcement. It will not become permanent.
  
  If you currently hold a Federal position in the competitive service and accept this appointment, you will voluntarily relinquish your competitive position. Upon completion of this appointment, you will not be returned to your previous position.

• Relocation expenses

• No

Though many locations may be listed, you will be limited to a maximum of 3 location choices. Please consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a position at one of your location selections, that location will become your official post of duty.

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