As a tax examiner you could be employed at the municipal, state or federal government level. This is an essential duty because there is a need for personnel to check the calculations of the income tax returns and the amount of taxes that residents pay. The work is very similar no matter what level of government you work in The main job of those working with the federal government is to review the tax returns to check for accuracy and whether or not the tax credits and deductions claimed are legitimate. They also have to report ant inconsistencies in the amount of federal taxes due to the state governments, since the state taxes are a percentage of the federal tax.
A tax examiner working with a state government will review the inconsistencies reported by those working in a federal capacity to determine whether the adjustments will affect the amount of state tax a resident has to pay. All cities and towns have tax rates, so the examiner will determine the value of property and determine the amount of tax that each resident of the locality is liable for. When you work in this profession, you will only deal with the simplest type of tax returns - those with few deductions and tax credits. You may also deal with the tax returns filed by small businesses.
At the entry level, a tax examiner you will have to perform many clerical duties, such as entering date into the computer database and contacting taxpayers to clear up any problems you may notice with individual tax returns. It is quite possible that a taxpayer may have reported income or a deduction on the incorrect line and you have to verify that it was a mistake before you enter the information. You also have to check the calculations of the numbers and ensure that the amounts entered match the documentation submitted with the return.
To work in the job of tax examiner you must hold a Bachelor’s degree in accounting or a related field, as well as at least one year of working experience in a job where you deal with auditing or preparing income tax returns, or in bookkeeping and accounting. After you get hired for the position, you will receive formal on-the-job training in the specific types of software used and in the proper procedures that you have to follow. You do have to make sure you become completely familiar with the regular bulletins from your employer so that you keep current on any changes made to the tax laws.
Part of the interview process for the job of tax examiner involves the employer doing a complete background check. The information that you deal with is of a confidential nature, so the employer has to ensure that you are completely trustworthy and will not disclose any information about taxpayers. Even if you don’t work for the government, you can take a government licensing exam that will qualify you to represent taxpayers before the IRS to discuss any discrepancies in their returns.
