According to people in this career, the main tasks are...
| Task | Importance |
|---|---|
| Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations. | 95% |
| Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent. | 91% |
| Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property. | 91% |
| Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems. | 90% |
| Check tax forms to verify that names and taxpayer identification numbers are correct, that computations have been performed correctly, or that amounts match those on supporting documentation. | 90% |
| Impose payment deadlines on delinquent taxpayers and monitor payments to ensure that deadlines are met. | 89% |
| Conduct independent field audits and investigations of income tax returns to verify information or to amend tax liabilities. | 88% |
| Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns. | 88% |
| Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment. | 87% |
| Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken. | 86% |
| Direct service of legal documents, such as subpoenas, warrants, notices of assessment, and garnishments. | 86% |
| Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation. | 84% |
| Review filed tax returns to determine whether claimed tax credits and deductions are allowed by law. | 84% |
| Maintain knowledge of tax code changes, and of accounting procedures and theory to properly evaluate financial information. | 83% |
| Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms. | 83% |
| Process individual and corporate income tax returns, and sales and excise tax returns. | 80% |
| Request that the state or federal revenue service prepare a return on a taxpayer's behalf in cases where taxes have not been filed. | 80% |
| Review selected tax returns to determine the nature and extent of audits to be performed on them. | 80% |
| Investigate claims of inability to pay taxes by researching court information for the status of liens, mortgages, or financial statements, or by locating assets through third parties. | 80% |
| Examine accounting systems and records to determine whether accounting methods used were appropriate and in compliance with statutory provisions. | 77% |
| Participate in informal appeals hearings on contested cases from other agents. | 75% |
| Prepare briefs and assist in searching and seizing records to prepare charges and documentation for court cases. | 75% |
| Enter tax return information into computers for processing. | 75% |
| Secure a taxpayer's agreement to discharge a tax assessment or submit contested determinations to other administrative or judicial conferees for appeals hearings. | 72% |
| Install systems of recording costs or other financial and budgetary data or provide advice on such systems, based on examination of current financial records. | 68% |
