Volunteer Taxpayer Advocacy Panel Member at U.S. Department of the Treasury in Seattle, WA

Summary

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Duties

WHAT IS THE TAXPAYER ADVOCATE SERVICE (TAS) DIVISION?

An independent organization within the IRS, the Taxpayer Advocate Service helps taxpayers resolve problems and recommends changes that will prevent them. You'll assist taxpayers who are experiencing economic harm. These taxpayers are seeking help to either resolve tax problems that have not been resolved through normal channels or require help to resolve issues with IRS systems or procedures. The service is free, confidential, and tailored to meet the taxpayers' needs. Available for businesses as well as individuals, you'll be there to listen to problems, help taxpayers understand what needs to be done, and work with them until the problem is resolved. TAS mission is to assist taxpayers in resolving their problems with the IRS (Case Advocacy), and to identify and propose administrative and legislative solutions to mitigate those problems (Systemic Advocacy).

Vacancies will be filled in the following specialty areas:
Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS), Systemic Advocacy, Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP)

WHAT DOES A VOLUNTEER TAXPAYER ADVOCACY PANEL MEMBER DO?

Taxpayer Advocacy Panel members are strictly volunteers and will not receive a salary. You have a unique opportunity to contribute to improving your tax administration system by becoming a member of the IRS Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP). The mission of the TAP is to listen to taxpayers, identify taxpayers' issues, and make recommendations for improving IRS service and customer satisfaction. The TAP serves as an advisory body to the Secretary of the Treasury, the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, the National Taxpayer Advocate, and IRS Division Commissioners to improve IRS service and customer satisfaction. Panel members serve a three-year appointment.

TAP offers its members a unique opportunity to participate in the improvement of both the American tax administration system and the organization of the IRS. TAP members make progress on local, pressing tax issues by working directly with the IRS. Members serve as listening posts to their community and provide local input on tax-related issues. TAP members have the unique opportunity to work directly with taxpayers and the IRS to help change the IRS.

As a Volunteer Taxpayer Advocacy Panel member, you will:

Serve in an advisory capacity to the IRS through meetings and focus groups;
Solicit taxpayer input on specific issues and channel the feedback to the agency;
Identify, prioritize, and elevate as necessary, taxpayer issues to the IR;
Participate in taxpayer outreach opportunities by speaking to individuals and groups about the Panel;
Annually report and publish, as a team, the results of your team's work.

Travel Required
Occasional travel - May involve infrequent overnight travel to attend multi-day meetings/events? (Note: Panel members will be reimbursed by the IRS for authorized travel expenses.)

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Must be a U.S. Citizen or National and provide proof of U.S. Citizenship. (Birth certificate showing birth in the U.S; Unexpired U.S. Passport; Certificate of Citizenship or Naturalization; or Report of Birth Abroad of a U.S. Citizen (Form FS-240))
Undergo a review of prior performance/conduct and an income tax verification. Refer to "Get Your Tax Record" at () to check the status of your account, balance owed, payment history, make a payment, or review answers to tax questions. If you are not in compliance, you will be determined unsuitable for employment with IRS.
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. For more information regarding your rights refer to , , and .
Must successfully complete a background investigation, including a FBI criminal history record check (fingerprint check).
Office of Professional Responsibility Check, if in practice before the IRS
Federal Lobbyist Check

Qualifications

Qualifications:
You must meet the following requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Volunteer TAP Members Must:

Be willing to commit approximately 200 to 300 volunteer hours per year to the Panel;
Be current with all Federal tax obligations;
Pass an FBI criminal background check;
Not be a federally registered lobbyist;
Not be a current Treasury or IRS employee or have worked for the Treasury or IRS within the past three years; and
Not be a current volunteer TAP member or have served as a volunteer TAP member within the last three years.
Individuals who practice before the IRS must be in good standing with the IRS.

For the volunteer Taxpayer Advocacy Panel to be most effective, the members of the Panel must possess good interpersonal communication skills, organizational skills, and have access to a computer. Members should also have the ability to problem solve within a group of other civic-minded professionals.

Outreach to the public is vitally important to the success of the TAP. As a member you will be expected to identify and participate in various outreach activities to solicit input from taxpayers about IRS products and services. Members should have good listening skills and the ability to interact with groups and individuals to solicit feedback from the public. Ideal candidates should be able to separate their personal views from TAP/IRS issues.

TAP includes members from all segments of the population with varying backgrounds and experiences; they represent the view of the average American taxpayer. There is no specialized tax experience required to serve on the TAP. Members will be provided the information needed to effectively contribute to the panel.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your application includes your resume and responses to the online questions. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this program; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a "not qualified" determination. Applicants who disqualify themselves will not be evaluated further.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated on the competencies of the program in the following areas: Teamwork, Interpersonal Skills, Oral and Written Communications, Problem Solving, Computer Skills, Project Management, Influencing/Negotiating, and Volunteerism. Your application will also be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, and training relevant to the duties of this program.

Referral: If you are among the top candidates, your application may be referred for consideration. We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site. The most qualified candidates will be interviewed by a team comprised of IRS staff and a current TAP member. The Department of the Treasury will review the recommended candidates and make final selections.

Required Documents

The following documents are required and must be provided with your application. All application materials, including transcripts, must be in English.

Resume - Your resume MUST contain dates of employment (i.e., month/year to month/year or present). To ensure you receive full credit for relevant experience, include the hours worked per week. We recommend that your resume not exceed 5 pages. If including Federal service experience, you MUST provide the pay plan, series, and grade, i.e., GS-0301-09. If the pay plan, series, and grade are not provided, it may result in an ineligible determination.
Your resume must NOT include photographs, classified or government sensitive information, social security number (SSN), encrypted/digitally signed documents, or links to social media such as LinkedIn, or other inappropriate material or content. If your resume contains prohibited information as listed above, your application will be determined ineligible, and you will not receive consideration for this position. (Cover letters are optional.) Please view It is also recommended that your resume not include personal information such as age, gender, religion, race, disability, etc.
Online Application - Questionnaire

Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, your application will be determined incomplete, and you will not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).