Summary
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, seeks enthusiastic individuals to serve taxpayers fairly and with integrity by providing correct and impartial interpretation of the internal revenue laws and the highest quality legal advice and representation for the IRS. Please click "Learn more about this agency" to find out more about Chief Counsel's various offices, to view some of the workplace attributes that Chief Counsel's workforce rates most favorably, and to hear from employees themselves.
This job is open to
Clarification from the agency
U.S. Citizens and U.S. Nationals; no prior Federal experience is required.
Duties
The Special Counsel serves as legal staff official and confidential advisor to the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (National Taxpayer Advocate (NTA) Program). The Office of the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel (NTA Program) is responsible for managing, directing and providing legal advice for programs and services related to the mission of the Office of the National Taxpayer Advocate, known as the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) (see Internal Revenue Code section 7803(c)). The Special Counsel assists the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel in providing optimal legal support to the NTA and TAS. The Special Counsel works for, and represents, the executive and is involved in some of the most important and sensitive issues and other matters handled by that executive. The Special Counsel assists the executive in the formulation of policies and programs for the operation of the Office and performs special assignments of a case specific or project nature. The Special Counsel represents the executive in the regulations and ruling review process and acts as a personal consultant on a variety of legal matters.
A Special Counsel for the Office of Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel, (NTA Program):
- Coordinates and monitors activities of Counsel's field and National Office functions to ensure responses are timely, of high quality, and responsive to the needs of the NTA and TAS. Provides recommendations to the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel, as needed, to improve operations and affect better service.
- Assists the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel in the review and prioritization of NTA requests requiring resolution at the National Office level. Identifies legal issues involved and responds directly or directs to appropriate Counsel offices for handling. Works with staff(s) as needed, to formulate/polish final product.
- Serves as point of contact for questions/issues relating to Counsel's role in providing legal support to the NTA and TAS. Provides legal advice to assist IRS staff in formulating assistance requests. Directs requests for assistance, and provides administrative liaison, when needed, to facilitate the processing of TAS requests involving Counsel field offices.
- Provides legal assistance to the NTA and TAS headquarters employees in the review and resolution of taxpayer questions and complaints involving taxpayer rights, complex legal matters, and/or issues of extreme sensitivity. Identifies legal constraints/implications of proposed solutions, recommending potential courses of action when appropriate. Provides legal assistance in the review of Taxpayer Assistance Orders, Taxpayer Advocate Directives, legislative proposals, and other items under consideration.
- Performs exhaustive and detailed research on complicated legal problems and prepares recommendations as to the position to be taken by the Office of the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel.
- Prepares position papers and briefing memorandum on substantive policy and procedural issues for the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel, and/or the Chief Counsel/Deputy Chief Counsel.
- Coordinates the participation of the Office of Chief Counsel in the development of reports and studies involving the NTA Program for use by Treasury and/or Congress. When requested, reviews for legal accuracy and coordinates review within Counsel of portions of the NTA's semiannual reports to Congress and assists in the preparation and drafting of testimony for Congressional hearings, and prepares responses to requests from Congress and other legislative agencies (e.g., OMB, GAO, etc.). Assists the Division Counsel/Associate Chief Counsel in the preparation of data needed by the NTA for inclusion in the NTA's semiannual reports.
This is not an all-inclusive list.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Refer to "Additional Information"
- Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
- Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Qualifications
In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements described below. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
To qualify for this position at the GS-15 grade level, you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement:
Basic Requirements for General Attorney (Tax) Special Counsel:
- Possess at least the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; AND
- Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
GS-15 Experience Requirements:
- 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus
- 3 year(s) of professional legal tax experience
Professional Legal Tax Experience is defined as: At least 52 weeks of the legal tax experience which included assignments involving complex and difficult legal questions requiring extensive research, analysis, and evaluation. In addition, the following experience is required:1) Experience in substantive federal tax issues impacting taxpayer rights or federal tax practice and/or tax administration or procedural issues; and 2) Experience in working with issues that impact low income taxpayers; The following experience is desired, but not required: 3) Experience advocating for taxpayer rights or improving tax administration to resolve systemic tax issues.
At least one year of this experience must be equivalent to the work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-14). Note: Only experience gained after Bar Admission may be credited as Professional Legal Experience.
Education Substitution: An LL.M. degree in the field of the position (tax, GLS-related, orP&A- FOIA/Disclosure related field) may be substituted for the one year of the general legal experience listed above.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. 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.
Education
For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. 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: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Benefits
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How You Will Be Evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Applicants will be considered based on their overall background as it relates to the position to be filled. Interviews may be held at the option of the office. All application materials and interviews, if conducted, will be used in the final evaluation and selection process.
Referral: Professional Order will be used to refer and select eligible candidates. Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference eligibles will be listed at the top of the certificate in alphabetical order and considered before non-preference eligibles. All other candidates will be listed in alphabetical order. If you are among the top qualified candidates, you may be required to participate in a selection interview. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview, such as travel to and from the interview site.
Required Documents
A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view resume tips.
In addition, applicants are required to submit:
- An unofficial or official transcript(s) for your J.D. degree or LL.M. degree (an official transcript is required if you are selected)
- An 8-10 page legal writing sample
- A memorandum of interest summarizing your interest in the position
Current Chief Counsel Employees are also required to submit:
- A copy of your most recent, signed, completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating. If it is not dated within the last 12 months or if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application
- A Supervisory Report for Supervisory or Management Positions (ERB Form 1-88, Rev 7/2020) regarding your suitability for the position as completed by your current supervisor. You are responsible for notifying your supervisor that this report must be received no later than five workdays after the closing date of this announcement.
Education Documentation: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. See "Education" for more details.
Certificate of Good Standing: A certified original copy of your certificate of good standing from your State Bar will be required if you are selected.
VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of Chief Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, 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. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an Application for 10-point Veteran Preference, SF-15, along with the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. For more information on veterans' preference, view FedsHireVets.
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 07/10/2024 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00AM - 4:30PM. ET, Monday - Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12401661
If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability or medical condition during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Keona Hill (EEO Director/Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator) by phone at 202-317-5739 or by email at Keona.L.Hill@irscounsel.treas.gov. The IRS - Office of Chief Counsel provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Counsel's EEO Office is not the point of contact for questions about the vacancy announcement.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
- Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
- After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
- You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
- It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
- Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center.
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. 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/.
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