Working at the IRS

  • Creator
    Topic
  • #199152
    rosecpa
    Participant

    I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight as to how it is working for the IRS?

    Also, what are their hiring policies? Are there frequent openings? etc.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
  • Author
    Replies
  • #752713
    Skynet
    Participant

    Are you thinking of consorting with the enemy?

    #752714
    rosecpa
    Participant

    If it will be of any benefit in the future. Are you allowed to engage in advisory tax services after employment at the IRS?

    #752715
    northernlights
    Participant

    My mother was a revenue agent until she retired last year, and my sister was a lawyer with the IRS national office until she was headhunted away by PWC a while back, so this is second hand….

    They both liked their time with the IRS. Little travel, steady hours, lots of job security once hired. However, this should come as no surprise, but hiring and training budgets were regularly cut over the last decade, which cut into their internal job advancement prospects the last few years..

    Both had to have extensive background checks before being hired, and I believe again every so often, maybe in conjunction with the promotions. My sister was recruited out of law school…. and my mom started 30 odd years ago, so I really couldn't speculate about current job openings and hiring procedures other than to send you to https://www.usajobs.gov/ .

    I know when my school took us all on a tour of places to work as an accountant, one of our stops was the IRS in Anchorage, AK, and they had a way to sign up for job announcements to be emailed to us, but I didn't sign up, sorry. But maybe you could reach out to your local office and ask a few questions? Of if you are not long out of school, or have a good alumni program, you could reach out to your school's career services and see if they have contacts with government hiring.

    FAR: 55, 52, 66
    REG: 84*
    AUD: 54, 70, 73, 72, 79!!!
    BEC: 75*

    *expired

    #752716
    rosecpa
    Participant

    Thank you Northernlights. I was considering it for the value I would have to a business entity after working there. I just read in my becker book about some limitation of working for individuals or business after such a stint and was wondering if anyone could explain that.

    #752717
    northernlights
    Participant

    I don't know of any limitations… but there is a lot I don't know 🙂 Like I mentioned, PWC head hunts the national office, and revenue agents can get their EA without having to take exams after I believe 5 years experience.

    FAR: 55, 52, 66
    REG: 84*
    AUD: 54, 70, 73, 72, 79!!!
    BEC: 75*

    *expired

    #752718
    the LAST Coffee
    Participant

    Northernlights: You're talking about the CH2M Hill Building on 36th eh? So odd to see another fellow Another71er up here in this cold outpost world.

    FAR 84 (AUG '15)
    BEC 83 (AUG '15)
    AUD 79 (OCT '15)
    REG 71, 78! (NOV '15, FEB '16)

    #752719
    SaveBandit
    Participant

    @rosecpa

    The only limitation in my mind is relevant to govt jobs in general – and that is, some employers in industry don't consider government work to be relevant experience. You may have to overcome the stigma of fewer hours, less rigorous workplace demands, etc. I've worked with/at several places that will not even look at resumes with government experience as the most recent job on the resume, especially if they've been at that govt job a long time.

    4 for 4

    FAR 85
    AUD 94
    BEC 86
    REG 90

    #752720
    northernlights
    Participant

    @theLASTCoffee There are more that a couple of Ninja's up here in Fairbanks, and I know of move that moved down to Anchorage or Juneau for jobs 🙂

    FAR: 55, 52, 66
    REG: 84*
    AUD: 54, 70, 73, 72, 79!!!
    BEC: 75*

    *expired

    #752721
    HowardH
    Member

    I've worked at the IRS as a revenue agent for a while now and it has been the best employer that I've worked for. The revenue agent job is challenging and provides great work-life balance. Every return that you audit has different issues so you are always learning and being challenged. Also, you get to independently manage your inventory of cases so you get a lot of freedom in making your schedule and in deciding where you will work each day. (ie- in the office, at home or in the field) The pay isn't that bad and the government benefits are great, including a 401k with 5% match, defined benefit pension and lots of paid time off.

    There are some downsides to the job. First, everyone hates you. Second, congress has decimated our budget in recent years meaning that there haven't been many promotion opportunities and training has been reduced. Third, there's been a hiring freeze and they haven't been replacing people when they leave.

    All IRS jobs are posted at http://www.usajobs.gov. The job postings are few and far between because of the hiring freeze. However, I heard that there will should be some new jobs posted early in the new year since congress recently gave us a small budget increase.

    #752722
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    thanks for the great insight into the work of a IRS revenue agent, Howard! .

    even though it supports all my preheld stereotypes (both good and bad) about the job.

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)
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