Internal Revenue Agent (Employee Plans Agent)

Clarification from the agency

Open to IRS Career/Career-Conditional, 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 plandocument, 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.

STANDARD POSITION DESCRIPTIONS (SPD): PD23460 and PD23459
Visit the IRS SPD Library to access the position descriptions.

Conditions of employment

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.

QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To qualify for this position, you must meet the qualification requirements outlined below:

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.

Specialized Experience GS-07: 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-05 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position includes: Experience in or related to accounting or auditing that provided the specific knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Qualifying experience may have been in accounting, auditing, tax, financial, legal, or other work that required the knowledge and skill described above to sufficiently demonstrate: 1) knowledge of and skill in applying the principles, concepts and methodology of professional accounting and related fields and 2) skill in communicating and dealing effectively with others.

Examples of qualifying experience may include the following: (This list is not all inclusive)

• Experience working in an accounting, auditing, or legal environment where I advised others on tax liability, conducted an analysis of their financial condition and related operations, provided tax law or accounting assistance, or made determinations on liability for Federal taxes.
• Experience advising clients on financial plans, tax and investment strategies, securities, insurance, pension plans, and real estate, which included assessing assets, liabilities, cash flow, insurance coverage, tax status, and financial objectives.
• Experience in commercial or investment banking conducting evaluating and analyzing complex financial statements, cash flows, revenue streams, revenue projections, inventory analysis, accounts receivable aging and analysis, assets, debt coverage ratios, industry peer ratios, corporate structure and ownership, tax to financial statement reconciliations, financial transactions (customer and account activity) including Wire Transactions, Credit Card Transactions/Payments, Checks, Cash, Non-cash Monetary Instruments, Remote Deposit Capture, and Trade Based Money Laundering, and preparing written reports of questionable activity.
• Experience in an accounting environment that involved importing and reviewing payroll, running reports, conducting reconciliations, making adjustments and reclassifications, preparing accounting reports for annual audits, and preparing quarterly tax filings.
• Experience in a position that involved researching records, investigative techniques, bookkeeping and/or staff accounting.
• Experience as a small business owner that included establishing budgets, managing financial assets, using automated accounting or manual bookkeeping systems, filing necessary employment and/or tax forms, and reconciling financial transactions or accounts associated with the business.
• Budgeting or financial management experience that required formulating, managing, and executing budgets, analyzing financial reports, disbursing funds, and reconciling accounts in or on behalf of a business.
• Experience processing and handling financial transactions analyzing credit data and financial statements on individuals, or in collecting information necessary to complete a financial application for loan processing, insurance claims, credit application, or other process requiring an individual's financials.
• Experience in an administrative, technical, para-professional, or supervisory position that included supporting accounting, auditing, tax administration, financial management, or related program operations through responsibilities such as maintaining financial records, analyzing data, preparing reports, reconciling accounts, or interpreting policies and procedures.

OR
Candidates must complete one (1) full year of graduate level education in a field of study such as accounting, business law, economics, statistical/quantitative methods, computerized accounting or financial systems, financial management, or finance.

OR
Superior Academic Achievement may be met by having a Bachelor's degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 2.95 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 3.45 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. In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

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

AND

You must also meet the following requirement(s):

• TIME AFTER COMPETITIVE APPOINTMENT (TACA): 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-5, 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):

• Attention to Detail
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Reading Comprehension

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

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, Best Qualified (BQ), Highly Qualified (HQ), and Qualified (Q). 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 (HQ) 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 (Failure to follow instructions, will result in not being considered.)

• Do:
  • Limit to two (2) pages. Recommend 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, 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.
  • Include your full name.
  • Include relevant work experience - Employer Name, Job Title, Employment dates (start to end date or present), and a brief description of duties that clearly demonstrate your qualifications.
• Don't:
  • Include photographs, classified or sensitive information, SSN, encrypted/digitally signed documents, or other inappropriate content. Resumes containing prohibited information will be deemed ineligible.
  • Copy and paste duties or specialized experience from the job announcement, as this is not a demonstration of your experience.
• Additional Information:
• Pay plan, series, and grade (e.g., GS-0301-09) should be provided for all federal service jobs. Failure to do so could affect your qualification determination.
• To receive full credit for work experience, include number of hours worked per week and specific MM/DD/YYYY start and end dates for every position.
• Do not include personal information such as age, sex, religion, race, or disability.
• Do not include embedded links as they will not be opened or considered when determining qualifications.
• If you update and resubmit your application, only the most recent resume received will be considered to determine qualifications.

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.

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