General Attorney (Tax), Special Counsel to the Division Counsel
Washington, DC 
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Posted 3 days ago
Job Description
Duties

The Office of Division Counsel (Taxpayer Services), located in Washington, DC, is responsible for providing legal services to the Chief, Taxpayer Services, and Taxpayer Services (TS) Division, the IRS's largest operating division. The Division Counsel (Taxpayer Services) office was previously known as the Division Counsel (Wage & Investment) office. The office provides legal advice and support services on tax administration matters with a focus on individual taxpayers. As a Special Counsel, the incumbent serves as a legal staff official and confidential advisor to the Division Counsel and as a principal legal advisor, under the supervision of the Division Counsel, to the Taxpayer Services Division of the IRS. The incumbent assists the Division Counsel in the formulation of policies and programs for the operation of the Office and oversees Counsel's activities with regard to specific TS programs.

As a General Attorney (Tax), you will:

  • Assist TS with the development of strategies, plans, and designs for a comprehensive tax administration program that meets the needs of taxpayers and stakeholders and promotes the goals of W&I with a focus on pre-filing and filing activities of individual taxpayers.
  • Advise on aspects of the strategic planning process both for TS and for the Division Counsel. Participate in operational reviews to understand and provide advice on the legal issues facing TS and assist in the Business Performance Review and the Business Plan process for the Division Counsel Office.
  • Advise on published guidance projects and legislative proposals, including developing, coordinating, and analyzing the impact of proposed legislation or guidance relating to the activities of TS. Assist TS with the implementation of new legislation and in research, development, and training.
  • Serve as a principal legal advisor to Customer Assistance, Relationships and Education (CARE) office, Customer Account Services (CAS) and Return Integrity and Compliance Services (RICS) within TS. CARE is responsible for educating and communicating with taxpayers about their tax responsibilities, creating and improving tax forms, instructions, publications, and notices, and providing in-person assistance to taxpayers at offices around the country. CAS is responsible for processing returns and providing telephone assistance to taxpayers with account and technical tax questions. RICS protects the public interest by improving the IRS's ability to detect and prevent improper refunds and helps taxpayers understand the refundable credits for which they are eligible.
  • Coordinate questions concerning litigation and settlement of issues and cases involving TS with TS, other Division Counsel offices, and Associate Chief Counsel offices.
This is not an all-inclusive list.
Requirements Conditions of Employment
  • Refer to "Additional Information"
  • Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National
Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements detailed below by the closing date of this announcement. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.

To qualify for this position of General Attorney (Tax) you must meet the qualification requirements listed below by the closing of this announcement:

Basic Requirements for General Attorney (Tax):

  • Possess at least the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; AND
  • Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;


GS-15 Experience Requirements:

  • 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus
  • 3 years of professional legal tax experience

Professional Legal Tax Experience is defined as: thorough and comprehensive legal knowledge of, and experience in applying, tax laws affecting individual taxpayers. At least one year of this experience must be equivalent to the work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-14).

Note: Only experience gained after Bar Admission may be credited as Professional Legal Experience.

Education Substitution: An LL.M. degree in the field of the position (tax, GLS-related, orP&A- FOIA/Disclosure related field) may be substituted for the one year of the general legal experience listed above.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

Education

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.

A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to .

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: .

Additional information

  • We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
  • Relocation expenses are not authorized.
  • This is anon-bargainingunit position.
  • We offer opportunities for telework.
  • We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
Conditions of Employment Continued:
  • Subject to a 1-year trial period (unless already completed).
  • Subject to a 1-year supervisory or managerial probationary period (unless already completed).
  • Subject to a Tenure Commitment of up to 3 years
  • Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
  • Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
  • File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
  • Undergo an income tax verification.
  • The employment of any candidate, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.
  • This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time.

    There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:
  • A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. .

    Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Required Documents

A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses, and 3. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).

All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view .

In addition, applicants are required to submit:

  1. An unofficial or official transcript(s) for your J.D. degree or LL.M. degree (an official transcript is required if you are selected)
  2. An 8-10 page legal writing sample
  3. A memorandum of interest summarizing your interest in the position
Current Chief Counsel Employees are also required to submit:
  1. A copy of your most recent, signed, completed annual performance appraisal which includes the final rating. If it is not dated within the last 12 months or if you have not received a performance appraisal, please explain why in your application
  2. A Supervisory Report for Supervisory or Management Positions (ERB Form 1-88, Rev 7/2020) regarding your suitability for the position as completed by your current supervisor. You are responsible for notifying your supervisor that this report must be received no later than five workdays after the closing date of this announcement.

Education Documentation: For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected. See "Education" for more details.

Certificate of Good Standing: A certified original copy of your certificate of good standing from your State Bar will be required if you are selected.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE DOCUMENTATION: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Office of Chief Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor in attorney hiring. If you are claiming veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214 (Member 4 copy), or other official documentation from a branch of the Armed Forces or the Department of Veterans Affairs showing dates of service and type of discharge. Ten-point preference eligibles must also submit an , along with the required documentation listed on the back of the SF-15 form. For more information on veterans' preference, view .
How to Apply

The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on 07/12/2024 and/or cut-off dates in this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). To preview the Application Questionnaire, please click the following link:

If you require a reasonable accommodation for a disability or medical condition during any part of the application and hiring process, please contact Kimberly Johnson, Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator, HR Labor & Employee Relations Division, by phone at 469-801-1728 or by email at . The IRS - Office of Chief Counsel provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. You must contact us by 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the announcement's closing date to request accommodation. If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.

  • Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
  • It is your responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan.
Agency contact information
Christopher Rhude
Phone
Fax
855-562-3827
Email
Address
Office of Chief Counsel, IRS
Staffing and Classification Branch
1111 Constitution Ave, NW
Washington, DC 20224
US
Next steps

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: .

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

 

Job Summary
Start Date
As soon as possible
Employment Term and Type
Regular, Full Time
Work Hours (i.e. shift)
Full-time
Salary and Benefits
$163,964 - $191,900 per year
Required Education
Bachelor's Degree
Required Experience
1 to 15 years
Required Security Clearance
Other Clearance
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