Tax examiners and collectors and revenue agents determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.

  • Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations.
  • Maintain knowledge of tax code changes, and of accounting procedures and theory to properly evaluate financial information.
  • Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
  • Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
  • Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
  • Check tax forms to verify that names and taxpayer identification numbers are correct, that computations have been performed correctly, or that amounts match those on supporting documentation.
  • Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms.
  • Impose payment deadlines on delinquent taxpayers and monitor payments to ensure that deadlines are met.
  • Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
  • Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
  • Enter tax return information into computers for processing.
  • Conduct independent field audits and investigations of income tax returns to verify information or to amend tax liabilities.
  • Review selected tax returns to determine the nature and extent of audits to be performed on them.
  • Investigate claims of inability to pay taxes by researching court information for the status of liens, mortgages, or financial statements, or by locating assets through third parties.
  • Process individual and corporate income tax returns, and sales and excise tax returns.
  • Recommend criminal prosecutions or civil penalties.
  • Examine accounting systems and records to determine whether accounting methods used were appropriate and in compliance with statutory provisions.
  • Review filed tax returns to determine whether claimed tax credits and deductions are allowed by law.
  • Participate in informal appeals hearings on contested cases from other agents.
  • Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems.
  • Direct service of legal documents, such as subpoenas, warrants, notices of assessment, and garnishments.
  • Secure a taxpayer's agreement to discharge a tax assessment or submit contested determinations to other administrative or judicial conferees for appeals hearings.
  • Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property.
  • Request that the state or federal revenue service prepare a return on a taxpayer's behalf in cases where taxes have not been filed.
  • Prepare briefs and assist in searching and seizing records to prepare charges and documentation for court cases.
  • Install systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data or provide advice on such systems, based on examination of current financial records.
Work Context
  • Telephone — 93% responded "Every day".
  • Contact With Others — 82% responded "Constant contact with others".
  • Deal With External Customers — 79% responded "Extremely important".
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 90% responded "Every day".
  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 69% responded "Extremely important".
  • Electronic Mail — 87% responded "Every day".
  • Face-to-Face Discussions — 79% responded "Every day".
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Work Activities
  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.
  • Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
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Detailed Work Activities
  • Correspond with customers to answer questions or resolve complaints.
  • Collect payments for goods or services.
  • Update knowledge of legal or regulatory environments.
  • Document information related to legal proceedings.
  • Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.
  • Correspond with customers to answer questions or resolve complaints.
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Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service
  • Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Economics and Accounting
  • Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
English Language
  • Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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Skills

Reading Comprehension
  • Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening
  • Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking
  • Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Speaking
  • Talking to others to convey information effectively.
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Abilities

Oral Comprehension
  • The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Inductive Reasoning
  • The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Deductive Reasoning
  • The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Problem Sensitivity
  • The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
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Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.
They do well at jobs that need:
  • Achievement/Effort
  • Persistence
  • Initiative
  • Leadership
  • Cooperation
  • Concern for Others
  • Social Orientation
  • Self Control
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Technology

You might use software like this on the job:

Human resources software
  • ADP Workforce Now Hot Technology
Enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • SAP Hot Technology
Word processing software
  • Microsoft Word Hot Technology
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