We consider your service to America one of your most admirable qualities. Now, your prior military experience could qualify you to continue to serve your nation here at the IRS. With more than 80,000 employees, we have a wide variety of career opportunities for qualified applicants like you throughout the United States. So we’d like to encourage you to explore everything we have to offer — not just our careers, but also our benefits and work/life balance programs.
Our Mission
The IRS Veterans Program Office is designed to provide quality training and work experience to wounded warriors and veterans by offering various non-paid internship opportunities within the IRS as well as help veterans who qualify for one or more of the three special hiring authorities to become gainfully employed within the IRS.
Veterans' Preference
Veterans' Preference gives special consideration to eligible veterans in federal employment. Veterans who are disabled, or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain specified time periods or in military campaigns, are entitled to preference over non-veterans. If a numerical rating system is used to evaluate applications for employment, an additional 5 or 10 points are added to the overall score of qualified preference eligible veterans. If a quality factor rating system is used, such as best qualified, highly qualified, and qualified, the veteran preference eligible is placed at the top of their assigned category rating with disabled veterans (i.e., those with at least 10% service-connected disability) placed at the top of the highest quality category (exceptions may apply) based on the job-related assessment tool(s). Preference points may also be added for the spouse of a disabled veteran, widow/widowers of deceased veterans, and the parents of a deceased veteran.
Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans
Special Hiring Authorities for veterans are just that…designed for veterans. Knowing about these authorities and identifying your eligibility will enhance your job search. Some of the most common non-competitive placement authorities for veterans include:
- Veterans' Recruitment Appointment
- 30% or More Disabled Veteran
- Schedule-A Appointing Authority
For detailed information about Veterans' Preference and Federal hiring authorities for veterans, please visit Vets - OPM.gov.
Military Spouse Noncompetitive Appointing Authority
The Military Spouse Noncompetitive Appointing Authority allows agencies to appoint certain military spouses without using traditional competitive examining procedures. Agencies can choose to use this authority when filling competitive service positions on a temporary (not to exceed 1 year), term (more than 1 year but not more than 4 years), or permanent basis. The authority does not entitle spouses to an appointment over any other applicant at the Agency's discretion.
Internship Opportunities
The IRS Veterans Program Office manages an umbrella program which includes the following internship opportunities to transitioning service members and veterans:
Operation Warfighter (OWF)
Service members participation in OWF continue to receive their military compensation and benefits while gaining valuable work experience. Developed by the Department of Defence, the OWF program provides a temporary assignment/internship for Recovering Service Members (RSM) who are convalescing at military treatment facilities throughout the United States.>
Non-Paid Work Experience (NPWE)
Veterans participating in the Department of Veteran Affairs NPWE program may receive a subsistence allowance while gaining valuable work experience with the IRS.
Student Veteran Intern Program (SVIP)
This non-paid program allows veterans to obtain skills to supplement their military experience and college courses which will assist them with their job search upon graduating. Veterans in the SVIP must be currently enrolled in an accredited educational institution.
Veteran Mentoring Program
Leaving the military and switching to a civilian federal career requires a bit of an adjustment. We know, we've been there. We are more than 8,000 military veterans working for the IRS. To make that transition smoother for our former brothers and sisters in arms, the IRS created the Veterans Mentoring Program for current veteran employees. This program is designed to adapt military veterans into the civilian world of the federal government by pairing you with a veteran mentor to help point out the differences and procedures from a fellow veteran's standpoint. For more information, please contact us at: vets@irs.gov.
Additional Resources:
Veteran and Military Spouse Talent Engagement Program (VWSTEP)
The Department of Veterans Affairs' VMSTEP provides employment readiness assistance to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses by providing training resources (virtual training webinars & videos) including military skills translator tool and workshops with writing federal resumes, navigating USAJOBS, and interview techniques. To get started, please visit: VA for Vets: Job Seeker - Training and Resources
Military Transition Center
The Department of Labor 's Military Transition Center provides dynamic and easy-to-use tools to translate your military experience into marketable skills, take self-assessments, create civilian resumes and search for jobs. To get started, please visit: CareerOneStop Veteran and Military Transition Center.
IRS Veterans Program Office
For questions about the information provided here and IRS employment opportunities for veterans, contact the IRS Veterans Program Office at: vets@irs.gov.