General Attorney (Tax) (Senior Counsel)

Summary

With nearly 1,700 attorneys, IRS Chief Counsel is the largest tax law firm nationwide. Our attorneys are among top tax law practitioners and some of the very best legal minds found anywhere. Together with the IRS, we serve the public by applying the tax code with fairness and integrity. After pausing hiring in 2025, we now seek new law graduates and experienced attorneys to join us.
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Duties

The Associate Chief Counsel, Procedure and Administration (PA) is comprised of approximately 100 attorneys and 50 support personnel. The office's responsibilities include legal issues arising out of the assessment and collection of Federal taxes, bankruptcy, ethics, abatement, credits, refund of Federal taxes, disclosure of Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act matters, and judicial proceedings which include technical electronic discovery (eDiscovery) litigation support.
As a General Attorney (Tax) (Senior Counsel) - P&A, you will:

• Provide expert advice and litigation support services on the most complicated tax matters involving the procedural aspects of filing returns and paying taxes; assessment and collection of taxes (including interest and penalties); abating, crediting or refunding over assessments or overpayments of tax; disclosure, privacy and FOIA; bankruptcy practices and procedures; summonses and the gathering of information; ethics; and judicial practice and procedure.
• Plan, develop and complete complex legal work products without review, and provide technical guidance and review of other staff work products. Ensure such products are technically complete and adhere to office policy and exercises signatory authority on own and others' products in accordance with delegated authority.
• Apply a high level of sophisticated analysis and research to identify and assess approaches to make recommendations on behalf of the Office to program executives and managers. As appropriate, interact with personnel from other Counsel offices, IRS, Treasury, other Federal agencies, and/or others on behalf of PA to exchange information or coordinate actions in the handling and completion of assignments.
• Serve as team leader on large-scale PA guidance and publication projects that may include representatives from other Counsel Divisions or IRS offices. Direct and coordinate the work of other team members and oversee all related administrative and logistical matters.
• Develop procedural guidelines to assist PA attorneys in the development of complex advisory opinions, private letter rulings, technical advice memorandums, closing agreements, published guidance (revenue rulings, revenue procedures, notices, announcements and regulations), pleadings, defense letters, and Chief Counsel Advice memoranda.
• Research complex issues and trends affecting PA legal services and determine likely legal ramifications on PA programs. Ensure that the legal or administrative consequences of potential actions to handle these issues are fully considered and write decision papers to determine Counsel's position on these matters.
• Serve as a primary reviewer on proposed legislation with potential impact on PA programs and prepare final comments and recommendations on behalf of the office. Develop and draft new procedures and regulations to implement new or amended legislation to ensure that policies are consistent with the intent of the law, are administratively sound, economical in operation, and enable PA to effectively meet its mission.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

• Refer to "Additional Information"
• Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the education and/or experience requirements detailed below by the closing date of this announcement. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application.
Basic Requirements for General Attorney (Tax) (Senior Counsel) - P&A:

• Possess at least the first professional law degree (LL.B. or J.D.) from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association; AND
• Applicants must be an active member in good standing of the bar of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;

GS-15 Experience Requirements:

• 1 year of general professional legal experience from any area of expertise; plus
• 3 year(s) of professional legal tax experience

Professional Legal Tax Experience is defined as: Comprehensive knowledge of procedural tax law, as well as other areas of law and legal concepts as they affect the tax laws, and experience in one or more of the following specialization areas: The procedural aspects of filing returns and paying taxes; Circular 230; the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct; the Administrative Procedure Act; assessment and collection of taxes (including interest and penalties); abating, crediting, or refunding over assessments or overpayments of tax; matters relating to disclosure, privacy and FOIA; matters relating to bankruptcy practice and procedure; matters relating to summonses and the gathering of information; judicial practice and procedure; and electronic discovery in litigation. At least one year of this experience must be equivalent to the work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-14). Note: Only experience gained after Bar Admission may be credited as Professional Legal Experience.

Education Substitution: An LL.M. degree in Taxation/Tax Law or a FOIA/Disclosure related field may be substituted for the one year of the general legal experience listed above.
Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; student; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week, on your resume.

Education

For positions with an education requirement, or if you are qualifying for this position by substituting education or training for experience, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page.
FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Additional information

• We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies.
• Relocation expenses are not authorized.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.
• We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
• The salary range indicated in this announcement covers multiple locality areas. Your salary will be adjusted based on the post of duty for which you are selected.

• All newly appointed employees to the competitive (or excepted) service are subject to a probationary (or trial) period. During this time, your performance, conduct, and suitability for continued employment will be evaluated. You will not automatically convert to permanent status at the end of the probationary (or trial) period. Your supervisor must affirmatively determine that continued employment is in the best interest of the Federal service. If no certification is made before the probationary (or trial) period ends, your appointment will be terminated. You are encouraged to actively engage with your supervisor, seek feedback, and understand role expectations. Additional guidance and support will be provided during onboarding.
• Subject to a Tenure Commitment of up to 3 years
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
• Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer.
• Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
• Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.
• File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• Undergo an income tax verification.
• The employment of any candidate, including a current employee or a new hire, selected for this position may be conditional upon classification and/or audit of federal tax returns. This audit may include up to 2 years of returns.
• This position requires that the successful candidate undergo personnel vetting, which includes a background investigation and enrollment upon onboarding into "Continuous Vetting." Enrollment in Continuous Vetting will result in automated record checks being conducted throughout one's employment with Treasury. The successful candidate will also be enrolled into FBI's Rap Back service, which will allow Treasury to receive notification from the FBI of criminal matters (e.g., arrests, charges, convictions) involving enrolled individuals in near real-time.
  There are three key documents that contain important information about your rights and obligations. Please read and retain these documents:
• Noncriminal Justice Applicant's Privacy Rights, for those who undergo an FBI fingerprint-based criminal history record check for personnel vetting, which includes Rap Back,
• FD-258 Privacy Act Statement - FBI (this is the same statement used when your fingerprints are submitted as part of your background investigation), and
• SEAD-3-Reporting-U.pdf (dni.gov), (applicable to those who hold a sensitive position or have eligibility for access to classified information)

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.