Tax examiners: Salary, career path, job outlook, education and more
Tax examiners usually deal with the simplest tax returns: those filed by individual taxpayers who claim few deductions and those filed by small businesses. Tax examiners also may contact individual taxpayers in order to resolve any outstanding problems with their returns.
Much of a tax examiners job involves making sure that tax credits and deductions claimed by taxpayers are lawful. If a taxpayer owes additional taxes, tax examiners adjust the total amount by assessing fees, interest, and penalties and then notify the taxpayer of the total amount owed.
- Education Required
- Tax examiners need a bachelors degree in accounting or a related field, or a combination of relevant education and specialized experience in accounting, auditing, or tax compliance work. Candidates for tax examiner positions at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) must have a bachelors degree or 1 year of full-time specialized experience.
- Training Required
- Newly hired tax examiners get some formal training, which typically lasts between 1 month and 1 year. All tax examiners must keep current with changes in the tax code and in enforcement procedures.
- Job Outlook
-
The projected percent change in employment from 2016 to 2026: -1% (Little or no change)
(The average growth rate for all occupations is 7 percent.) - Advancement
- Tax examiners, revenue agents, and collectors have different opportunities for career advancement. Tax examiners who review individual tax returns may advance to revenue agent positions, working on more complex business returns. Those with experience in supervisory or managerial roles may move to jobs that involve supervision of other examiners and revenue agents. Collectors who demonstrate leadership skills and a thorough knowledge of tax collection activities may advance to supervisory or managerial collector positions.
- Median pay: How much do Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents make?
- $52,060 Annual Salary
- $25.03 per hour
Careers for Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
- City collectors
- Collectors
- Customs appraisers
- Income tax adjusters
- Internal revenue agents
- Internal revenue service agents
- Revenue agents
- Revenue collectors
- Revenue enforcement agents
- Revenue officers
- Tax collectors
- Tax compliance officers
- Tax compliance representatives
- Tax investigators
- Tax revenue officers