General Attorney (Tax)

Summary Office of Chief Counsel, IRS, seeks enthusiastic individuals to serve taxpayers fairly and with integrity by providing correct and impartial interpretation of the internal revenue laws and the highest quality legal advice and representation for the IRS. To learn more, click the links below: IRS Office of Chief Counsel Careers Site Meet Our People Learn about our Legal Divisions Duties The Associate Chief Counsel (ACC) (Employee Benefits, Exempt Organizations, and Employment Taxes) provides published guidance, field support and taxpayer advice on tax matters involving employee plans, exempt organizations, employment taxes, executive compensation, health and welfare benefits, and certain federal, state, local and Indian tribal government issues to a wide variety of internal and external customers. As a General Attorney (Tax), you will handle all aspects related to professional legal work involving one or more of the following areas: Qualified Retirement Plans - 401-436 - rules for qualified retirement plans; 403(b) - certain employee annuity plans; 408 and 408A - individual retirement arrangements (IRAs) and Roth IRAs; 457(b) - certain eligible deferred compensation plans; 414(d) - governmental plans; 414(e) church plans; 501(a) - exemption from tax for qualified retirement plan trusts; 72 - taxation of distributions from qualified retirement plans; 3405 - withholding rules for designated distributions from retirement arrangements; 4971, 4972, 4980, 4980F - penalties and excise taxes related to qualified retirement plan failures. Executive Compensation Arrangements - 83 - property transferred in connection with the performance of service; 162(m) - deduction limit on excess compensation; 280G and 4999 - golden parachute payments; 402(b) - nonexempt employees trust/secular trust; 403(c) - non-qualified annuities or annuities purchased by exempt organizations; 404(a)(5) - deduction for nonqualified deferred compensation; 409A - nonqualified deferred compensation; 421 through 424 - statutory stock options; 451 - constructive receipt (as applied to compensation arrangements); 457(f) - tax treatment of participants in ineligible deferred compensation plans of state and local governments and tax-exempt entities; 457A - nonqualified deferred compensation from certain tax indifferent parties, and 4960 - excise tax on tax-exempt organization executive compensation. Health and Welfare Benefits - 79 - group term life insurance; 104 - compensation for injuries and sickness (except 104(a)(2)); 105 - accident and health plans; 106 -employer provided coverage under accident or health plans; 125 - cafeteria plans; 129 -dependent care assistance programs; 223 - health savings accounts; 419 and 419A - funded welfare benefit plans; 501(c)(9) - voluntary employees' beneficiary associations (VEBAs); 4980B - continuation coverage requirements of group health plans (COBRA); 4980H - employer shared responsibility provisions; 9801 through 9833 -HIPAA and related health care benefit provisions. Employment Tax - 61 - fringe benefit valuation rules; 74(c) - employee achievement awards; 107 - parsonage allowance; 102(c) - employee gifts; 117(c) - scholarship limitation; 119 - meals and lodging; 132 - certain fringe benefits; 1401 through 1403 - self-employment tax; 3101 through 3134 - Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) tax, including worker classification; 3201 through 3241 Railroad Retirement Tax Act (RRTA) tax; 3301 through 3311 - Federal Unemployment Tax Act (FUTA) tax; 3401 through 3404 - federal income tax withholding, including statutory employer rule; 3501 through 3512 - general employment tax provisions, including agents and Certified professional employer organizations; Miscellaneous Subtitle F provisions - employment tax reporting, refund and adjustment procedures; 7436 - Tax Court proceedings for determinations of employment status; Section 530 of the Revenue Act of 1978; employment tax credits provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Exempt Organizations - 115 - income of states, municipalities, etc.; 501 through 509 - requirements of tax-exempt status under 501(a) and related provisions and foundation classification, where applicable; 511 through 514 - unrelated business income tax; 527 - political organizations; 529 - qualified tuition programs; 529A qualified ABLE programs; 530 - Coverdell education savings accounts; 4911 and 4912 - excise taxes on public charities; 4940 through 4948 - excise taxes on private foundations; 4958 through 4968 - excise taxes on excess benefit transactions, hospital compliance failures, donor advised funds, excess compensation, and certain investment income; 6033 - exempt organization reporting requirements; 6104 - disclosure of certain exempt organization information; 7428 - declaratory judgments related to section 501(c) organizations; 7611 - restrictions on church tax inquiries and examinations; and application of Federal tax laws to Indian tribal governments and their distributions. This is not an all-inclusive list. If selected at a lower grade level, you will have the opportunity to learn to perform the duties of the position, and will receive training to help you grow in the position. 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-13 Experience Requirements: 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus 1 year of professional legal tax experience GS-14 Experience Requirements: 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus 2 years of professional legal tax experience Professional Legal Tax Experience is defined as: Experience handling legal issues and interpretations relating to one or more of the following areas: qualified retirement plans, executive compensation, health and welfare benefits, exempt organizations, or federal employment taxes and/or fringe benefits. 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. 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 Department of Education Accreditation page. 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: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov) 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 abargainingunit position. We offer opportunities for telework. We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules. Conditions of Employment Continued: Subject to a 1-year trial period. Continued employment is contingent upon supervisory certification that continued employment will benefit the Federal Service; the certification will occur no less than 30 days before the end of the probationary/trial period. Subject to a Tenure Commitment of up to 3 years. Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. 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: Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back, FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information) Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Benefits 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits. 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.