The IRS participates in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB), one of the best health care insurance programs in the world. You can choose from a variety of health care plans and options, and your IRS health benefits cover you and your family members at reasonable rates. This program offers:
All federal employees are automatically enrolled in one of the best retirement systems in the world.
If you were first hired after December 31, 1983, on an appointment with retirement coverage, you are covered by FERS. You are also covered if you transferred to FERS during a FERS open season.
The FERS is a three-tiered plan made up of:
Not only does an IRS career come with a competitive salary, you’ll also receive Locality Pay, according to your geographic location. The amounts are based on the President’s and Congress’s annual determination to raise government-wide pay across-the-board. So, you can count on your salary reflecting the relative cost of labor across the country.
Comparable to the best private-sector 401(k)-type plans, you can save up to 11% of your salary before taxes towards your retirement. This program features:
As a newly recruited IRS employee, you’ll find it’s easy to excel here because we’ll support you with our excellent learning and skills enhancement programs from day one. In fact, we’ll help you take your talents and knowledge further, just by taking advantage of the following training opportunities:
We’re proud to offer our IRS employees time to engage in all of their professional activities, as well as a full personal life outside the office. It's something we think is important for the individuals whose varied talents and knowledge keep us going strong. That’s why you'll experience a culturally rich atmosphere with programs that can enhance your skill set, plus federal benefits that go above and beyond those in the private sector. And it’s why, at the end of the workday, you'll have time to just be you.
The IRS offers a wealth of workplace flexibilities and work-life programs to help you balance career and home. Some of the many programs available to you include:
The AWS Program provides the flexibility to choose or vary an employee’s work schedule from the standard 8-hour day and 40-hour week. Employees may request AWS to help balance work, personal and family responsibilities.
Balancing the needs of work and family life can be challenging, and we know that many of our employees have child care needs. So the IRS works in partnership with the General Services Administration (GSA) to provide on-site child care facilities. GSA manages these centers in 31 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico — and 10 of them are co-located with IRS facilities. Each center is independently operated, and services and fees vary from center to center. In addition, our Employee Assistance Program can also provide you with free referral information to assist you in finding care for children, grandchildren and eldercare.
The Child Care Subsidy program is offered to eligible IRS employees to reduce the amount they pay for childcare by paying subsidies directly to childcare providers. The program is designed to encourage eligible employees and their families to use quality child care services by offsetting a portion of their costs by up to $5,000 per year.
It is federal government policy to ensure a drug-free workplace and offer prevention and/or treatment programs and services for substance abuse to federal employees. Our drug-free workplace plan includes an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) as an essential element in achieving a drug-free workplace. IRS employees experiencing drug and/or alcohol problems have an opportunity to seek rehabilitation, resolve their issues and become fully productive members of our workforce.
Here at the IRS, we’re committed to helping employees balance their work and family life. Therefore, we make free employee assistance services available to all of our employees and their immediate family members around the clock (24 x 7) to help with everyday challenges affecting their personal and professional lives. These services, provided by ComPsych Corporation, help families overcome stressful life issues and personal concerns. Employee assistance services include cost-free confidential counseling to address a variety of personal issues that you or your dependents may be facing — from marital conflict, stress, grief/loss and depression to alcohol and drug abuse. The Employee Assistance Program provides free information and resources for legal, financial, eldercare, childcare and other issues employees or their family members may face.
We welcome your suggestions for improving our work processes and working conditions. Your ideas are a valuable and unique resource through which we can increase our efficiency and employee morale. This program also recognizes IRS employees as individuals who play a critical role in our ability to increase our overall efficiency and the economy of our government operations. IRS employees whose adopted ideas result in savings or improvements may receive up to 25 percent of the tangible first-year savings. Awards may be paid in cash, time off from work, or a combination of both.
OPM partners with colleges and universities as a part of the continuing efforts to provide higher educational opportunities to the federal workforce by providing current federal employees with the opportunity to pursue post-secondary education at reduced tuition rates. Federal employees can take advantage of this benefit to pursue or enhance their higher academic education at their own pace. Some agreements extend the benefits to spouses and legal dependents. See Federal Academic Alliance to learn more.
Space in federal buildings is provided for exercise, and some IRS locations have on-site workout facilities in 27 fitness centers nationwide. There are no membership fees in IRS-only fitness centers; but other fitness centers located in GSA shared federal buildings may require a membership fee.
Because we recognize how important it is to maintain a healthy and fit federal workforce, we offer excellent health services to IRS employees. They will help promote and maintain your physical and mental fitness with a variety of services, such as flu shots, cholesterol and blood pressure screenings, smoking cessation programs and wellness workshops. On-site health units in many of our locations also provide episodic care, health screenings, health risk appraisals and more. facilities are available for IRS employee use at no cost.
IRS employees have designated, private space to express their milk. This space can be a health clinic or conference room with a table, chair, electrical outlet and a small refrigerator.
The Leave Sharing Program — open to full-time and part-time employees — is comprised of the IRS Leave Bank and Leave Transfer programs. If you are a member of the Leave Bank, you can apply donated annual leave to a personal or family medical emergency. The Leave Transfer Program will also allow you to receive donated leave from other employees when you’re facing a medical emergency or a qualifying disaster-related event.
Multiple leave options are available to help employees maintain a work-life balance, including:
• Annual leave for vacations and personal needs,
• Sick leave for employee and family medical needs,
• Maternity/paternity leave for pregnancy, birth, adoption and/or foster care of a child,
• Family Medical Leave Act for serious health conditions employees or their family members may experience,
• Advanced leave when the severity of the situation warrants its approval and use and
• Other types of leave for circumstances that employees might encounter during their careers, such as Bone Marrow and Organ Donor Leave, Court Leave, military leave and leave without pay.
The Student Loan Repayment Program is offered to eligible IRS employees to reduce the amount they pay for student loans. The program is designed for highly qualified IRS employees who occupy hard-to-fill positions by helping them repay all or a portion of their federally-insured qualifying student loans. Student loan repayments may be up to $10,000 per year, and up to $60,000 in total for any one employee.
Tax collection and enforcement is a vital part of the IRS. We have opportunities for individuals interested in applying their analytical and investigative skills to educate customers on meeting their tax responsibilities while enforcing the tax laws. If you do join us you won’t be disappointed with the many benefits we offer, the opportunities for advancement, or the dedicated professionals that you will meet and work with.
As a Contact Representative, you will provide over-the-phone technical assistance to individuals and businesses. You will apply the tax code while addressing a wide range of issues to assist taxpayers in understanding and meeting their tax responsibilities so no prior tax experience is required.
As a Revenue Officer, you will conduct tax related civil enforcement investigations, and will be trained in tax law, collection, and civil investigative techniques, to collect delinquent taxes and tax returns. Most of your work is in the field, where you will interact with taxpayers, taxpayer representatives, and third parties at their residences and/or places of business. You will protect taxpayers’ rights, counsel taxpayers on their obligations, and determine how to resolve tax delinquencies.
As a Tax Specialist (Tax Compliance Officer), you will examine financial records of individuals and businesses to determine the proper taxes have been assessed. You will provide educational assistance to taxpayers regarding tax laws and tax-related accounting. You will regularly work with taxpayers, their representatives, certified public accountants, and tax attorneys.
You don’t just have to be a business, accounting or finance major to perform the work of the IRS. We have opportunities for anyone interested in applying their skills to important work in an environment of collaboration with key professionals. No matter what position you take on here, you’ll experience autonomy and independence, as well as clear growth opportunities.
Accounting defines the IRS as an agency within the US Treasury, and it encompasses a wide universe of thinking, operations and goals. Our professionals work to design, develop, operate or inspect accounting systems; prescribe accounting standards, policies and requirements; examine, analyze and interpret accounting data, records or reports; and provide accounting or financial management advice and assistance to management. These duties make an IRS accounting position multifaceted, creative, evaluative — and satisfying.
Your background in business or finance can put you in an environment where your time management skills and decision-making ability contribute to your success, and where you have a direct impact on our bottom line. Apply your skills to virtually any of our professional fields as an: Accountant, Economist, Auditor, Contract Specialist, Budget Analyst, Internal Revenue Agent — and the list goes on.
As a Revenue Agent, you will be responsible for planning and conducting examinations of individuals and businesses to determine federal tax liability. You will work with taxpayers, their representatives, certified public accountants, and tax attorneys. Your duties will vary based on the area you are assigned and will focus on specific tax matters including employment tax, state and local governments, Indian tribal governments, tax exempt bonds, and much more.
As a Tax Specialist (Tax Compliance Officer), you will examine financial records of individuals and businesses to determine the proper taxes have been assessed. You will provide educational assistance to taxpayers regarding tax laws and tax-related accounting. You will regularly work with taxpayers, their representatives, certified public accountants, and tax attorneys.
As a Budget Analyst, you will exercise financial plan management responsibility, and review and analyze division budget requests to ensure compliance with Congressional, OMB, Treasury, IRS, and internal regulatory requirements. You will make recommendations and/or develop contingency spending plans based on financial analyses and reports.
As a Contract Specialist, you will determine contract types, establish milestones, and formulate procurement strategies. You will determine price reasonableness, solicit quotes and proposals, negotiate with potential contractors, and prepare the appropriate award vehicle and file documentation for approval. These duties will vary and may include customer support, policy and planning, network services, and systems analysis.
As a Financial Analyst (Business Appraiser), you will perform unique and sometimes controversial and precedent setting appraisals of businesses and business interests where the appraisal can have significant tax compliance impact and have the potential to affect legislative change. You will serve as a technical authority on new theories and standards to appraisal problems where no accepted or established appraisal procedures exist, as well as for valuation issues on income, estate and gift tax examinations, and litigation.
As an Economist, you will assume responsibility for the initiation, formulation, planning, execution and control of major studies or continuous projects. You may be responsible for issues and cases involving technical, highly contentious, and unique economic and valuation issues. The work may involve a wide range of tax issues including transfer pricing, tangible and intangible product valuation, globalization issues, tax shelters, and electronic commerce work.
From File and Mail Clerks, to Administrative Assistants, Program Analysts and beyond, your employment opportunities in our Management, Administrative and Clerical areas are perhaps the most wide-ranging that we offer. They focus on providing direct support to management and technical professionals in every one of our business divisions and functional units. They also provide equally as far-ranging locations in which you can work.
When you join us, you’ll find yourself interacting with IRS personnel at all levels — most often with other co-workers, supervisors and managers. You may also have direct contact with taxpayers, especially in our Service Centers. No matter where you work, you will know you are a key member of our team because, in addition to varied personal contact, you will enjoy growth and advancement potential that is truly boundless.
As an Administrative Associate, you will provide administrative, clerical, and case processing support to managers and technical employees. Your responsibilities will include planning, organizing, and carrying out a variety of administrative and clerical activities. You will verify the completeness and accuracy of case controls to ensure compliance with established procedures and formats and identify and resolve inconsistencies with inventory reporting.
As a Clerk, you will perform a variety of administrative tasks and duties associated with tax administration. This may include identifying and reviewing forms, preparing inventory reports, reviewing filed material, and transcribing and/or keying a variety of taxpayer documents. You may be responsible for opening and sorting both incoming and outgoing mail, routing correspondence, filing, and updating appropriate systems.
As a Management and Program Analyst, you will be responsible for accomplishing analytical studies and projects relating to substantive, mission-oriented programs. Studies and projects may involve development of policy and operational objectives, complex programs, systems, or issues with broad operational impact. These positions cover various occupational specialties including contracting, budget, human resources, program management, risk management, quality assurance, and more.
The Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance Program (FEGLI) offers Basic Life Insurance that is equal to your annual basic pay, rounded to the next higher $1,000, plus $2,000.
So for example, if your annual salary is $48,108, your insurance would first be rounded to $49,000, then have $2,000 added, making your basic life insurance coverage $51,000.
You can also get three types of optional insurance: