The Internal Revenue Service is searching for a new deputy chief of its Independent Office of Appeals to help manage and develop the office.
The IRS posted a
The IRS was required to set up an Independent Office of Appeals as part of the Taxpayer First Act of 2019 after years of complaints over the appeals process at the agency from taxpayers and tax professionals alike, as well as the Taxpayer Advocate Service.
The IRS is set to receive a record infusion of an extra $80 billion over the next 10 years as part of the Inflation Reduction Act that Senate Democrats passed on Sunday after marathon sessions over the weekend. The House is expected to take up the legislation on Friday and pass it on a party-line basis. While part of the funding will go toward tax audits and enforcement, some will also go toward other functions such as taxpayer service and much-needed technology improvements mandated by the Taxpayer First Act.
The mission of the Independent Office of Appeals is to resolve tax controversies without litigation, on a basis that's supposed to be fair and impartial to both the federal government and the taxpayer, and in a way that will enhance voluntary compliance and public confidence in the integrity and efficiency of the IRS. The appeals office is separate and independent from the IRS Examination and Collection functions that make tax assessments and initiate collection actions.
According to the job description, the deputy chief will provide advice to the chief of appeals on broad technical policies and specific issues, as well as "develop, refine, and modify policies, objectives, programs and procedures to accomplish the overall Appeals mission of administratively disposing of disputed tax cases without the necessity of trial, by reaching prompt, fair, impartial and high-quality decisions in each case."
The deputy chief will participate in reviews and analyses to identify areas that need corrective action within all the appeals functions and assure appropriate actions are taken, as well as help identify best practices, and represent the chief of appeals on sensitive and controversial issues related to overall organizational issues.
The deputy chief will direct activities to build cooperative partnerships with customers and stakeholders and ensure their needs are considered in developing tax administration programs. The job entails partnering with appeals executives, area directors, appeals management and employees to achieve the office's mission. The deputy chief coordinates programs and activities with other top-level IRS executives to prepare servicewide policies, address cross-functional issues, develop strategies and ensure consistent approaches.
The deputy chief also works closely with the chief appeals and the IRS Office of Chief Counsel on regulatory and litigation issues affecting appeals and its processes. Part of the job includes serving as an expert consultant and advisor to the appeals chief and other top-ranking IRS and Treasury officials on the issues, regulations and needs pertinent to the successful design and delivery of the appellate process.
The deputy chief has to offer executive leadership and direction to a nationwide staff through subordinate managers and management officials, but also delegate enough authority to subordinates to effectively manage the office's resources and aim for continuous improvement by providing a supportive environment for creativity and innovation. Finally, whenever the chief is absent, the deputy will fill in as chief of appeals.
