Internal Revenue Agent (Employee Plans Agent)

Clarification from the agency

Open to IRS Career/Career-Conditional currently in Tax Exempt/Government Entities (TE/GE), Treasury/IRS CTAP & IRS RPP employees

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.

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.

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.

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.
Incomplete or insufficient information may result in not being considered for the position, or not receiving special consideration for which you may be eligible.
Please view Application Preparation or How to write a resume for federal job.

1. Resume
… Your resume should:

• Be limited to two (2) pages. Applicants with resumes exceeding two-pages will be removed from consideration. We recommend utilizing a standard 8.5x11-inch document size, a sans-serif font such as Arial or Calibri with a font size no smaller than 10-point for the main text, and page margins of 0.5 inches. Applicants that attempt to circumvent the 2-page limit page limit, for example by materially reducing readability, will be deemed ineligible. If you update your application, only the most recent resume received (uploaded under the "Resume" document type) will be considered to determine qualifications.
• Include your name and contact information.
• Include relevant work experience - Employer Name, Job Title, Employment dates (start to end date or present), number of hours worked per week, and a brief description of duties that clearly demonstrate your qualifications. To receive full credit for work experience, you must include specific MM/DD/YYYY start and end dates for every position.
• Include pay plan, series, and grade (e.g., GS-0301-09) for all federal service jobs.
• Not include photographs, classified or sensitive information, SSN, encrypted/digitally signed documents, or other inappropriate content. Resumes containing prohibited information will be deemed ineligible.
• Not include embedded links as they will not be opened or considered when determining qualifications.
• Not include personal information such as age, sex, religion, race, or disability.
• Not include specialized experience copied from the announcement or position description, as this is not a demonstration of your experience.

2. Education (if applicable) - Refer to Qualification and Education sections above for requirements

• For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position based on education or training, submit a copy of your transcript(s) or equivalent. An official transcript(s) will be required if you are selected.

3. Registration/License (if applicable) - Current, active registration/license

4. Performance Appraisal/Awards (strongly encouraged)

• Submit the most recent completed annual performance appraisal.
• Submit copies of any incentive/performance awards received that may have an impact on the qualifications for the position to be filled.

5. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) (if applicable) Selection priority program for displaced or surplus federal employees:

• Review and submit the required documentation as outlined under CTAP

6. IRS Reassignment Preference Program (RPP) (if applicable)

• Submit your RPP Notice and most recent performance appraisal.
• Appraisal must reflect Fully successful or higher overall rating.

7. Current Employees Documentation (recommended if applicable)

• If applying for a higher grade and you met time-in-grade (TIG) at another agency, it is recommended that you provide an SF-50(s) (Notification of Personnel Action) (or equivalent) which demonstrates you meet the 52-week TIG requirement (e.g., Promotion with an effective date more than one (1) year old, Within-Grade-Increase at the highest grade held). Failure to provide an SF-50(s) that shows your eligibility may result in an ineligible determination.

Next steps

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