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Hiring Watch ’19: Become the Next National Taxpayer Advocate

The woman in the photo above is Nina Olson. She is the National Taxpayer Advocate. Olson has been the National Taxpayer Advocate since March 2001. But she will retire on July 31, 2019. Now you, tax guy or tax gal, can be the next National Taxpayer Advocate and write ridiculously long reports to Congress each year about what the IRS does good, what the IRS does bad, and why the IRS needs more money.

The IRS has begun the process of trying to find Olson’s replacement. The ideal candidate, according to the Service, “should have a background in customer service and tax law as well as experience in representing individual taxpayers.”

The IRS said Title 26 of U.S.C. §7803 (c) provides additional information on the NTA.

What does the National Taxpayer Advocate do? Here’s the job description from the IRS:

The NTA leads the IRS Taxpayer Advocate Service division, an independent organization inside the IRS and comprised of approximately 1,800 geographically dispersed employees and managers, with 79 offices (including at least one in each state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico). The NTA is the senior advisor to the Commissioner on issues of taxpayer concerns, focusing efforts on improving processes affecting taxpayers and emphasizing the IRS’s role in assisting taxpayers comply with their legal requirements. The NTA serves as the taxpayer’s “voice” and serves as a contributor to the IRS’s strategic management in formulating tax administration policy, long-range objectives, and internal administration aimed at modernizing business practices, management roles and performance measures. Additionally, the person is responsible for assisting taxpayers in resolving problems with the IRS and proposing changes to administrative policies or legislative solutions mitigating identified problems. The National Taxpayer Advocate annually submits two reports directly to Congress on areas of tax law that impose significant burdens on taxpayers or the IRS, including recommending potential legislative changes to lessen those burdens.

Got it? Good. Email your letter of interest and your resume to [email protected] by May 24, 2019.