Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
Also known as: Adjustment Examiner, Block Advisor, City Collector, City Tax Auditor, Collections Specialist, Collector, Corporate Tax Associate, Credentialed Tax Expert, ...
Annual Salary
Median annual wage (May 2024)
Job Outlook
Projected growth, 2024–2034 (Declining)
What You'd Do
- Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
- Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
- Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
- Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
- Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
- Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms.
- Collect taxes from individuals or businesses according to prescribed laws and regulations.
- Maintain knowledge of tax code changes, and of accounting procedures and theory to properly evaluate financial information.
- Review filed tax returns to determine whether claimed tax credits and deductions are allowed by law.
- Review selected tax returns to determine the nature and extent of audits to be performed on them.
- Enter tax return information into computers for processing.
- Examine accounting systems and records to determine whether accounting methods used were appropriate and in compliance with statutory provisions.
- Impose payment deadlines on delinquent taxpayers and monitor payments to ensure that deadlines are met.
- 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.
- Examine and analyze tax assets and liabilities to determine resolution of delinquent tax problems.
- Determine appropriate methods of debt settlement, such as offers of compromise, wage garnishment, or seizure and sale of property.
- Secure a taxpayer's agreement to discharge a tax assessment or submit contested determinations to other administrative or judicial conferees for appeals hearings.
- Prepare briefs and assist in searching and seizing records to prepare charges and documentation for court cases.
- Direct service of legal documents, such as subpoenas, warrants, notices of assessment, and garnishments.
- 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.
Top Skills
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Knowledge Areas
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Education Level Distribution
Percentage of workers in this occupation by education level
Technology & Tools
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In-Demand Technologies
Other Tools
Work Styles
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Key Abilities
Cognitive, physical, and sensory abilities important for this role
Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Activities
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Importance scale: 1 (low) – 5 (high)
Work Environment
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Salary data: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024. Outlook data: BLS Employment Projections, 2024–2034.
This page includes information from the O*NET 30.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license.