Summary
Click on "Learn more about this agency" button below to view Eligibilities being considered and other IMPORTANT information.
WHERE CAN I FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OTHER IRS CAREERS? Visit us on the web at www.jobs.irs.gov
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This job is open to
- Internal to an agency
Current federal employees of this agency. - Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
Clarification from the agency
Open to IRS Career/Career-Conditional, Treasury/IRS CTAP, & IRS RPP employees
Videos
Duties
WHAT IS THE SMALL BUSINESS SELF EMPLOYED (SBSE) DIVISION?
A description of the business units can be found at: https://www.jobs.irs.gov/about/who/business-divisions
Vacancies will be filled in the following specialty areas:
Field Collection
The following are the duties of this position at the full working level. - Collects delinquent tax and secures delinquent returns from taxpayers who have not resolved their obligations in response to prior correspondence or other contact. Conducts interviews with taxpayers (and/or their representatives) in different environments such as the business location, residence or office as part of the investigative process of collecting delinquent taxes and securing delinquent tax returns. Taxpayers at this level normally include individuals with relatively large gross income from diversified sources, self employed professionals, medium sized partnerships, corporations involved retail, manufacturing, construction, wholesale, and other businesses as well as smaller businesses with valuable or unusual assets.
- Provides customer service by respecting and explaining the taxpayer's rights, IRS policies and procedures. Provides instructions, and analyzes issues presented by taxpayers, practitioners and IRS employees. Customer service is based upon learning, interpreting, and applying IRM policies and procedures, regulations, court decisions, state and local laws, and various Titles of the United States Code. Provides instructions, and analyzes issues presented by taxpayers, practitioners and IRS employees. Resolve account discrepancies and responds to taxpayer and practitioner requests.
- Performs credit and financial analysis of the taxpayer financial records to determine the taxpayer's financial condition and ability to pay outstanding tax obligations and prevent future delinquencies. Analyzes financial information and evaluates assets. Applies expense standards and provides guidance on a wide range of financial alternatives to assist taxpayers in identifying options that could assist in resolving delinquent tax obligations including installment agreements, offers in compromise or suspending collection action. Evaluates and compares taxpayers' financial information to internal and external sources to verify taxpayers' financial condition. The purpose of the analysis is to develop a clear plan of action to resolve the case. For business taxpayers, analyzes financial statements that include balance sheets, income statements and profit and loss statements.
- Performs financial investigations in situations in which taxpayers are unwilling to be forthcoming concerning assets and sources of income. Searches public records, tax returns, and financial and credit information to locate distrainable assets. Summonses taxpayer records and other financial information from the taxpayer and financial institutions or other third parties. Confers with internal and external advisors, analysts, or attorneys (for example: Counsel or Department of Justice) regarding case development, issue determination, case processing and coordination. Develops a feasible plan of action to resolve the case. Recognizes patterns of delay and other indicators that a taxpayer is not cooperating or attempting to defeat assessment or collection of delinquent tax.
- Plans and takes appropriate enforcement actions to secure an assessment on past due returns, such as summonsing tax records, referrals to examination or assessing taxes using IRC 6020(b), or prompt, quick and jeopardy assessments. Takes appropriate enforced collection action, such as levies, redemptions, seizures, nominee liens, judicial actions, or fraud investigation. Conducts trust fund recovery penalty investigations: evaluates willfulness, responsibility and authority, and recommends penalty assessments. Prepares affidavits, statements and testimony for court cases, such as summons enforcement, or seizure action. Files and releases Federal tax liens.
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.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD): PD95512, PD95513, and PD95514
Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.
- 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.
- 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.
- A 1-year probationary period is required (unless already completed).
- File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
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-time work 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.
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement:
QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:
GENERAL EXPERIENCE: GS-05:
You must have three (3) years of general experience, one (1) year of which was at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-04 grade level in the Federal service. General experience for this position includes having a general knowledge and understanding of business and financial practices, and that demonstrated the ability to deal effectively with others. Examples of this experience may have been gained in work such as financial, accounting, purchasing, merchandising, investigative, civil or criminal law enforcement, data processing, or similar activities in commercial or government enterprises. It also may have been gained in work that provided knowledge of credit operations and practices related to the collection of delinquent accounts;
OR
Four (4) year course of study leading to a Bachelor's or higher degree in any field of study from an accredited college or university;
OR
Certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) obtained through written examination or membership in the bar in State, territory or the District of Columbia;
OR
You may qualify by a combination of experience and education.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-07:
You must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience must demonstrate one or more of the following:
- Knowledge of business organization and commercial practices.
- Knowledge of investigative techniques and methods, and the ability to apply such techniques to the analysis of business and financial matters.
- Practical knowledge of business law, including laws governing fraudulent transfers, secured and unsecured debts, negotiable instruments, business corporations, and survivorship rights and titling instruments.
- Knowledge of delinquent loan collection processes and techniques; working knowledge of accounting principles and practices.
- Knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and related Federal tax regulations and procedures.
Examples of specialized experience may include experience reviewing financial documents to determine a business' financial condition and its ability to pay debt. Experience may have been gained in work such as: Evaluating income assets, equity and credit to collect delinquent payments; Investigating or tracing financial transactions such as a real estate broker or insurance broker; Establishing or operating a small business that included administering a budget, defining operating procedures and understanding tax consequences of business actions; Dealing with the effects of various legal instruments such as leases, wills, deeds, and trusts.
OR
You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: At least one (1) academic year of graduate education in a field of study that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;
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 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;
OR
A combination of experience and education.
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: GS-09:
You must have 1 year of specialized experience a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Experience must demonstrate knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code and related enforcement and collection regulations and procedures. Experience may have been gained in work such as:
- Collecting delinquent Federal taxes and securing delinquent returns;
- Conducting investigations of alleged criminal violations of Federal tax statutes and making recommendations for criminal prosecutions and civil penalties;
- Performing internal audit, administrative, or management duties directly related to the collection of Federal taxes;
- Furnishing taxpayer assistance and information to the general public or determining, re-determining, or advising of liability for Federal taxes where the applicant was required to apply a comprehensive knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code and related regulations and procedures pertaining to income, estate, gift, employment, or excise taxes;
Examples of specialized experience may include experience with business organization and commercial practices; experience that demonstrates practical knowledge of business law, including laws such as, governing fraudulent transfers, secured and unsecured debts, negotiable instruments, business corporations, and survivorship rights and titling instruments. Experience with conducting financial analysis, including the ability to analyze the operations, financial condition, and profitability of taxpayers including the valuation of assets for case resolution. Uses arithmetic and mathematical reasoning to resolve collection determination issues. Experience that demonstrates knowledge of electronic data exchange and the ability to conduct business online including use of the internet and intranet.
OR
You may substitute education for specialized experience as follows: a Master's or equivalent degree or 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree that demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of this position;
OR
LL.B or J.D., if related;
OR
A combination of experience and education.
AND
MEET TIME IN GRADE (TIG) REQUIREMENT: You must meet applicable TIG requirements to be considered eligible. To meet TIG for positions above the GS-05 grade level, you must have served at least one year (52 weeks) at the next lower grade (or equivalent) in the normal line of progression for the position you are applying to. Advancement to positions up to GS-05 is permitted if the position to be filled is no more than two grades above the lowest grade held within the preceding 52 weeks.
AND
TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT: 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".
For more information on qualifications please refer to OPM's Qualifications Standards .
Education
A copy of your transcripts or equivalent documentation is required for positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. If the position has specific education requirements and you currently hold, or have previously held, a position in the same job series with the IRS, there is no need to submit a transcript or equivalent at this time. Applicants are encouraged, but are not required, to submit an SF-50 documenting experience in a specific series.
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.
Additional information
- Work assignments regularly require independently traveling to and from locations in the field to meet taxpayers, their representatives, and/or third parties at the business location, residence, or other field location as part of the investigation and/or enforcement process- for example, to evaluate assets, number of employees, etc., to compare observations to what is disclosed by the taxpayer, or to observe indications of hardship or business failure.
- 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: Monday - Friday, Day Shift
- 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.
- Relocation expenses - No.
- Pay retention may be offered based on applicable laws and regulations.
- If this position is covered by a formal development plan, pay retention will be offered where applicable based on law and regulation.
- 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.
If the position(s) are no longer needed prior to the closing date, this announcement may be closed early. This is an open continuous announcement which will be used to fill vacancies in the locations listed as they become available for the next 12 months contingent upon funding and space requirements. Applicants must apply and/or update their applications by 11:59 pm ET at the close of the following cut-off dates to be considered: Cut-off date(s): 07/03/2024 & 08/23/2024. This announcement may be amended to include additional cut-off dates within the 12 month period if needed, not later than 10 days prior to the additional cut-off date(s). Eligible applicants who apply by the initial cut-off date, will be referred in score order. If additional vacancies exist, remaining applicants will be considered in score order as needed. Selections from this announcement may be made no later than (NLT) 07/03/2025.
- Benefits
Review our benefits
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.
In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical competencies required to perform the job. In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process, meet all qualifications, and receive a passing score on the required assessment(s). Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or on the application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment will result in your removal from consideration.
Rating: Your application will be evaluated on the Critical Job Elements (CJE) of the position to be filled, in accordance with Article 13 of the IRS/NTEU National Agreement. Your application will also be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions/assessment. Your experience, education, training, prior performance, and awards, relevant to the position being filled, will be considered throughout the hiring process. IRS employees may obtain most recent awards listing at https://persinfo.web.irs.gov/ .
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview (telephonic and/or in person at the discretion of the Selecting Official in accordance with hiring polices). We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.
If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee eligible for Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) , you must receive a score of 80 or better to be rated as well qualified to receive special selection priority.
- Benefits
Review our benefits - Required Documents
As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
- Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages. If including Federal service experience, you MUST provide the pay plan, series, and grade, i.e., GS-0301-09. If the pay plan, series, and grade are not provided, it may result in an ineligible determination.
Your resume must NOT include photographs, classified or government sensitive information, social security number (SSN), encrypted/digitally signed documents, or other inappropriate material or content. If your resume contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined ineligible, and you will not receive consideration for this position. ( Cover letters are optional.) Please view Resume Tips.
It is also recommended that your resume not include personal information such as age, gender, religion, race, disability, etc. - Online Application - Questionnaire responses
- Education - See Education Section above
- Performance Appraisal/Awards (if applicable) - You are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your most recent, signed, completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating and copies of any incentive/performance awards you received. If a revalidated appraisal is used for merit promotion, the supervisor must prepare a narrative for each critical job element that does not have a narrative describing the performance in the appraisal period covered by the rating. Note: If you are a manager or management official, your most recent annual performance appraisal must be used for the overall rating identified.
- Registration/License (if applicable) - active, current registration/license
- IRS Reassignment Preference Program (RPP)(if applicable) - You MUST meet the requirements in your RPP notice. Submit a copy of your RPP Notice along with a copy of your most recent annual performance appraisal. Your performance appraisal must have a fully successful or higher overall rating.
- Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)(if applicable) - You MUST submit the required documentation as outlined at: Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP). If you are an IRS CTAP eligible, you can apply for jobs within and outside the commuting area. If you are a Treasury CTAP eligible can apply for jobs within the commuting area.
Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). - How to Apply
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 04/03/2025 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on 04/03/2025.
To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12422412 - To begin the application process, click the "Apply Online" button.
- You will be re-directed to USASTAFFING to complete your application process; answer the online questions and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, import documents from USAJOBS to the appropriate document types. If the document you need was not imported from USAJOBS, you may upload it directly into this application. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN).
- To complete, you must click the "Submit Application" button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 04/03/2025.
- After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to complete additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system and will be provided any necessary instructions at that time. This message will be delivered to you via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
- If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements.
- Note, set aside adequate time to take these assessments. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found in your USAJOBS account under Track my application link for the corresponding application.
- To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account ( https://usajobs.gov ). There you will find a record of your application and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. On the Home page, scroll down and locate your job application. Once the job has been located, click the Track this application link on the right under the application date. The page will refresh to display the Agency's Application Information page where you can scroll down and review any notifications the agency has sent you. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/ .
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests (USA Hire Competency Based Assessments): If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire
Treasury believes in a working environment that supports inclusion; please view our reasonable accommodation policies and procedures at https://www.jobs.irs.gov/midcareer/reasonable-accommodation.html . We will provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis; please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
Agency contact information
(ERC) Employee Resource Center
Phone 866-743-5748 Website https://irsgov.sharepoint.com/sites/EmployeeResources/SitePages/ERC-Help-Desk.aspx
Address SBSE COLL - Collection Operations
1111 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20224
US
Learn more about this agency
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your assessment results will be kept on record for the life of the assessment and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments. If you fail any part of the assessment, you will need to wait 8 months from your test date to retake it. Due to a change in testing requirements, scores rendered prior to 12/1/2021 will no longer be valid.
Before attempting to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you should visit https://cdn.apps.pdricloud.com/cdn/v1/files/pub/inline/7e5/6/15/f/5f7a7b45-d373-4126-8738-aa5c07cadd92.html to determine if the computer you are using is likely to experience any issues during testing. If you have questions about the computer requirements, require technical assistance, accidently deleted the invitation to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, or otherwise need the information re-sent (e.g., you feel you have not received it due to a SPAM filter), you should contact https://apply.usastaffing.gov/HelpTicket to request the invitation to be re-sent. Requests to re-send invitations to the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments must be received by https://apply.usastaffing.gov/HelpTicket BEFORE the close of the Job Opportunity Announcement.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. If your email mailbox is full or blocked (SPAM) you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
As a current employee, you know the great benefits we offer. Should you have any questions about benefits, please contact the Employee Resource Center (ERC) at 1-866-743-5748 option #1 for ERC. - Fair and Transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance. - Criminal history inquiries
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
- Financial suitability
- New employee probationary period
- Privacy Act
- Reasonable accommodation policy
- Selective Service
- Signature and false statements
- Social security number request
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