Tax Specialist Series, 0526

Individual Occupational Requirements

Education

Undergraduate Education: Major study -- any field.

Graduate Education: Major study -- accounting, auditing, taxation, business administration, law, or other related fields.

OR

Experience

General Experience (for GS-5 positions): Experience that provided a general knowledge of business practices. Such experience may have been gained in government, business or industry, investigative work, banking, law, accounting, or other work appropriate to the position to be filled.

Specialized Experience (for positions above GS-5): Experience that demonstrated a substantive knowledge of business practices, basic accounting principles, and Federal tax laws and regulations; and that required the ability to audit tax records, analyze systems and bookkeeping, use factfinding techniques, and develop interpersonal skills. For GS-9 level positions, qualifying specialized experience may have been gained in work such as:

• Office auditing of various types of tax returns to determine tax liability of individual tax payers, businesses, or corporations.
• 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.
• 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 (other than alcohol and tobacco), including canvassing for unreported taxes due, and securing delinquent returns.

OR

CPA Certificate or Bar Membership

A certificate as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) obtained through written examination or membership in the bar of a State, territory, or the District of Columbia meets the requirements for GS-5. Applicants with CPA certificates or bar membership may also qualify for higher grade levels based on their education and/or experience.

Interview

Applicants for positions in this series may be required to demonstrate in an interview that they possess the personal characteristics necessary for the successful performance of Tax Technician work.