Tax compliance officers are employees of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) who determine if businesses and individuals have paid the proper amount of taxes. The IRS provides tax compliance officers with necessary training. A bachelor's degree is typically required.
Essential Information
Tax compliance officers are assigned tax cases by the IRS to examine. By inspecting these cases, a tax compliance officer can tell if an individual or business owes money in taxes. When this money is owed, a tax compliance officer confronts the taxpayer and collects the money. A bachelor's degree in financing, business or accounting is necessary. Job training must be completed after being hired.
| Required Education | Bachelor's degree |
| Additional Requirement | Completion of IRS training program |
| Projected Job Outlook* (2019-2029) | -4% for tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
| Median Salary* (2020) | $55,640 for tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents |
Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
Job Description
Tax compliance officers work with the IRS. By conducting and planning investigations, a tax compliance officer determines if businesses and individuals are paying the required taxes. Tax compliance officers freely gives advice to the taxpayers assigned to them. Any issues a taxpayer has with taxes are brought to and answered by the tax compliance officer.
The first duty a tax compliance officer performs in a case is ensuring the accuracy of any credits and deductions a taxpayer has claimed. While examining this information, a tax compliance officer can detect tax problems at the federal, state and local levels. If a claim or payment is determined to be inaccurate, a tax compliance officer then contacts the taxpayer. From there, advice is freely given and legal action can be pursued if the taxpayer doesn't follow the necessary procedures.
The normal work environment for a tax compliance officer is an office setting. Traveling can be necessary to meet with individuals and to visit businesses assigned to the tax compliance officer. Trips to government owned buildings are also common. A standard 40-hour work week is normal for tax compliance officers with additional hours often being necessary during the tax season.
Education Requirements
The preferred education for a tax compliance officer is a bachelor's degree. This degree needs to be in business, accounting or a similar major. These 4-year degree programs cover subjects like accounting, criminal justice, business, finances, economics and taxes.
In addition to this education, job training and work experience is expected. Any previous auditing or accounting experience is an asset. The formal training program covers information like bookkeeping, tax analysis and accounting. This training program is completed under the guidance of a trained and experienced tax instructor. Training can last years before a tax compliance officer is allowed to work independently or on difficult cases.
Regular continued education is expected through seminars that provide tax compliance officers with information regarding any changes in regulations and procedures. Attending educational seminars or meetings are recommended and encouraged by employers.
Employment Outlook and Salary Information
Demand for tax examiners, collectors and revenue agents is expected to decrease by 4% from 2019 to 2029, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS credits this decline to government budget reductions. The median salary for individuals in this profession was $55,640 in 2020, as reported by the BLS.
Tax compliance officers audit tax filings to ensure taxpayers remit the required amount of taxes to the Internal Revenue Services. They participate in training provided by the IRS that can last for years. Slow job growth has been projected through 2029.
