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Internal Revenue Agent (Employee Plans Agent)

Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service
TEGE - Tax Exempt/Government Entities

Summary

WHAT IS TAX EXEMPT/GOVERNMENT ENTITIES?

A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions
  • Position(s) are to be filled in following area(s):
    • Tax Exempt/Government Entities(TEGE),Employee Plans
  • This job (or announcement) is open to current permanent IRS competitive service employees in Tax Exempt/Government Entities business units.
REVIEW THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION BELOW FOR FURTHER DETAILS

Overview

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Accepting applications
Location
10 vacancies in the following locations:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Remote job
No
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$74,678 - $137,128 per year

The range reflects the minimum locality to maximum locality for locations listed in the announcement. Salary will be based on selected duty location

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time - Tour of Duty: Monday-Friday, 8:00am - 4:30pm
Travel Required
25% or less - e.g. May be required to travel 6-10 days per month.
Appointment type
Permanent
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Represented by a union
No
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Financial disclosure required
No
Some jobs require financial disclosure to identify conflicts of interests.
Announcement number
26-13020858A-TEN-0512-11T12
Control number
879933200

Duties

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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.

  • Analyzes determination letter applications with accompanying information and applies technical tests to verify that a pension, profit sharing, and stock bonus plans' governing document satisfies Internal Revenue Code and other regulatory provisions.
  • Performs on-site audits of returns filed in connection with the above plans. Reviews operating mechanics, observes practices and procedures such as payroll and internal control systems, operational compliance with the governing plan document and IRC, regulatory and other IRS guidance, etc. Considers probable effects of contributions and benefits and ensures that participating employees are receiving their proper benefit without discriminating in favor of highly compensated employees and that the sponsor's contributions are in compliance with the plan document, the Internal Revenue Code and applicable regulations. Discrimination analysis includes coverage and elective deferral testing and correction methods required if the plan is non-compliant with its document or statutory and regulatory provisions.
  • Provides accurate technical expertise pertinent to employee plans, guidelines/codes, benefits, etc. to internal and external customers with professional and helpful service. Such includes guidance on how to follow the plan document's terms and statutes governing compliance with the tax law related to the plan's form and operational compliance. (i.e., tax law, government position, what barriers have occurred in the plan, etc.).

STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD): PD23457 and PD23456
Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Probationary Period - A person who is required to go through a probationary period and then is transferred, promoted, demoted, or reassigned before he or she completes such period is required to complete the remainder of the probationary period in the new position.
  • Government Credit Card - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • Traveling outside the United States may also be required. For overseas travel, will be required to obtain an official United States Passport.
  • Tax Audit -The employment of any candidate, 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.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS SHOWN IN QUALIFICATIONS SECTION

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.

You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS All GRADES (ALSO MEETS GRADE 5 QUALIFICATIONS): 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 combination of education and experience equivalent to 4 years that that included courses equivalent to a major in accounting, i.e., at least 30 semester hours in accounting or 24 semester hours in accounting and 6 semester hours in related subjects as described above, in combination with appropriate experience or additional education.

AND
Specialized Experience GS-11:
In addition to the basic requirements, you must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-09 grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Qualifying experience in accounting, auditing, tax, financial, legal, or other fields to sufficiently demonstrate knowledge of and skill in applying the principles, concepts and methodology of professional accounting and related fields.
  • Examples of qualifying experience may include (this list is not all inclusive): Interpreting and applying professional accounting and auditing techniques, and practices to examine various tax returns of individuals and/or business organizations; Examining accounting systems and records including computerized accounting and financial information systems which reflect a variety of complex financial operations (e.g., budgeting and planning, cash flow monitoring and forecasting, financial reporting, cost tracking, asset valuation and utilization); Interpretation and application of Federal tax law in the examination of tax returns for individuals, business and/or exempt organizations, partnerships, and corporations; Recommendation and implementation of Federal tax strategies (i.e., excise tax, income tax, etc.); Drafting, consolidating, and reviewing financial statements; Knowledge of federal tax and auditing guidelines related to common deductions, asset/liability reporting; Knowledge of internal controls and conducting audits as part of a team.
  • Managing a caseload effectively by considering complexity, prioritizing work, and tracking progress.
  • Researching available resources independently to solve a problem or determine the next course of action.
  • Identifying potential issues, summarizing facts and applying the law to draw conclusions about compliance.
  • Communicating technical analysis of the law as applied to a set of facts through effective oral articulation and written reports.


OR EDUCATION: A course of study that includes three (3) years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in accounting or related field of business law, economics, statistical/quantitative methods, computerized accounting or financial systems, financial management, or finance.

OR an equivalent amount of combined education and experience as described in paragraphs above.

Specialized Experience GS-12:
In addition to the basic requirements, you must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Qualifying experience must have been in progressively responsible and diversified professional accounting or auditing work that required 1) knowledge of and skill in applying professional accounting principles, theory, and practices to analyze and interpret accounting books, records, or systems specifically to determine their effect on Federal tax liabilities and their adequacy for recording transactions affecting tax liabilities; 2) skill in interpreting and applying Federal tax law for individuals, business, and/or exempt organizations, partnerships, and corporations; 3) knowledge of business and trade practices to develop tax issues based on analysis and evaluation of overall business operations and financial condition; 4) knowledge of corporate financial transactions and financial management principles and practices; and 5) skill in interacting effectively with a broad range of individuals and in negotiating with specialists in accounting, legal, tax, and other similar business-related professions.
  • Leading risk assessments and evaluations in an internal/external audit to assess internal controls and provide recommendations to strengthen controls.
  • Analyzing large datasets in spreadsheets and selecting samples for testing based on approved sampling methodologies.
  • Interpretating and applying more complex Federal tax law (e.g., employee stock ownership plans, conservation easement, Micro-captive insurance, Employee retention credit, Research and Development credits, Taxation of cryptocurrency and other digital assets, Pass-through entities (BBA), Transfer pricing operations) in the examination of tax returns for individuals, business and/or exempt organizations, partnerships, and corporations.
  • Overseeing company tax return, revenue, and expense reporting.
  • Investigating complex individual and business taxpayers involved in offshore activities, blocker entities, tiered multiple related entities or activities or transactions designated or structured to hide or conceal income such as and other means using a wide range of financial and other investigative skills.

AND

You must also meet the following requirement(s):

  • TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT (TACA): By the closing date (or if this is an open continuous announcement, by the cut-off date) specified in this job announcement, current civilian employees must have completed at least 90 days of federal civilian service since their latest non-temporary appointment from a competitive referral certificate, known as time after competitive appointment. For this requirement, a competitive appointment is one where you applied to and were appointed from an announcement open to "All US Citizens"
  • TIME IN GRADE (TIG): For positions above the GS-05,applicants must meet applicable time-in-­grade requirements to be considered eligible. One year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade level is required to meet the time-in-grade requirements for the grade you are applying for. For positions at the GS-05, you cannot advance to the GS-05 if you have held a GS-02 in the past 52 weeks. There is no TIG restriction for GS-02, 03 or 04 positions.

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

Education

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 (Section 3, Explanation of Terms) or here for Foreign Education Credentialing instructions.

We recommend choosing an evaluator from a member organization of one of the following national associations of credential evaluation services: National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE).

Additional information

  • Consider each location carefully when applying. If you are selected for a location, that location will become your official post of duty.
  • In the event that a building is closed due to rent management, new hires may be placed in a local commuting location.
  • Additional jobs may be filled from this announcement or any other source to fill these vacancies.
  • Alternative work schedule, staggered work hours may be available.
  • Use of a camera application may/will be required to participate in the interview process.
  • Salary: General Schedule (GS) Locality Pay tables may be found under Salaries & Wages.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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):

  • Accounting Principles
  • Auditing
  • Decision Making
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Self Management


Rating: Your application will be evaluated in accordance with the Service's Merit Promotion Plan. A quality group rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level groups, Superior/Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified.

Referral: Eligible applicants rated in the highest quality 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 quality group order. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.

Performance Appraisal and Awards - Will not be used in determining your overall rating. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. IRS employees may obtain their most recent awards listing at https://persinfo.web.irs.gov/.

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), you must receive a score of Highly Qualified orbetter to be rated as "well qualified" to receive special selection priority.

Internal Revenue Service

WHY IS THE IRS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK? As an IRS employee, you will feel proud knowing you helped make America stronger while working at one of the world's biggest financial institutions. You will be part of an organization that collects over $2 trillion in revenue and processes over 200 million tax returns annually. We are proud of how we apply the tax law with integrity and fairness to all. The IRS hires talented and dedicated individuals from many backgrounds, including accounting, business, finance, law enforcement and information technology. You will be challenged & supported on a daily basis. Whether you are just starting out or looking for a new opportunity, consider an IRS career.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury has a distinguished history dating back to the founding of our nation. As the steward of U.S. economic and financial systems, Treasury is a major and influential leader in today's global economy. We have employees across the country and around the world. Come Join the Department of the Treasury and Invest in Tomorrow.

WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OTHER IRS CAREERS? Visit us on the web at www.jobs.irs.gov

Agency contact information

(ERC) Employee Resource Center
Phone
866-743-5748
Website
https://irsgov.sharepoint.com/sites/EmployeeResources/SitePages/ERC-Help-Desk.aspx
Address
TEGE - Employee Plans
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
US

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