Taxpayer Services Specialist 1 (NY HELPS)

If appointed to Collections Enforcement, the incumbent will work with taxpayers and their representatives to resolve taxpayers’ outstanding tax obligations, encourage taxpayers’ voluntary compliance with tax obligations, and better ensure the fair application of the tax laws.

Activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Answer complex questions and provide technical assistance to taxpayers and their representatives by phone, mail, in-person and/or other electronic means.
• Understand and logically explain complex technical requirements and provisions to taxpayers and/or tax practitioners to encourage resolution of outstanding tax obligations and/or voluntary compliance with tax obligations including, but not limited to, explanation of assessments and legal basis for bills, computation of penalties and interest, and other compliance regulations.
• Assist taxpayers or their representatives by responding to inquiries, formal protests, disputes, requests for information, either written or by telephone. Effectively educate the taxpayer or representatives to resolve their questions, inquiries, requests or disputes including but not limited to explaining the consequences of missing deadlines to formally protest.
• Understand, research, and communicate tax law, regulations, policies, processes and procedures from various tax law publications, Departmental databases, and other related materials such as court decisions, rulings, tax forms, databases and schedules.
• Utilize methods and processes to resolve complex reconciliations of taxpayer accounts including, but not limited to, account adjustments, error corrections, credit payments, refunds and liabilities, computation of tax penalties/liabilities and interest due.
• Prepare and analyze various reports including, but not limited to:

o Productivity logs;

o Itinerary of field visits, when required to conduct them; and

o Periodic reports of hours worked, visits made, monies collected, cases closed, and cases still pending.

• Access, analyze, update and utilize information and data retrieved from various departmental and third-party systems and software, or from the taxpayer, public records, mortgage records or other persons and institutions to:

o Trace the location of tax debtors;

o Verify identities of taxpayers and persons responsible for taxes;

o Assess taxpayers’ status with the Tax Department;

o Locate and compile information on property or other assets that may be levied or seized to satisfy debt;

o Determine ownership interest in real property of other assets of the tax debtor;

o Determine taxpayers’ ability to pay;

o Obtain knowledge of other liens or liabilities against assets and properties; and

o Assess viability of various collection activities such as: tax warrants, installment payment agreements, income executions, levies, Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) revocations, seizures, certificate of authority revocations and/or referral to criminal authorities.

• Navigate various departmental and third-party systems to prepare reports and collection case activities:

o Maintain comprehensive case histories of all liability cases worked, utilizing appropriate codes to reflect action taken or information provided;

o Record information relative to both tax debtor's personal and business assets and liabilities secured from taxpayer, banks, credit organizations, and other business entities; and

o Maintain a record of all oral and written communications concerning each tax debt case and enters appropriate follow-up dates, taking into account the impact upon the case flow based on the follow-up date determined.

• Work independently and exercise good judgment in monitoring work assignments.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the laws, regulations, policies and procedures regarding the:

o Filing of Tax Warrants and transcripts;

o Serving of levies and garnishment of wages;

o Revocation of DMV licenses;

o Revocation of certificates of authority, certificates of registration and other licenses and permits;

o Negotiation of installment payment agreements, offers in compromise, assessment of persons as responsible, or not responsible, for tax debts and defending those assessments including, but not limited to, the innocent spouse program;

o Determination of requests for penalty abatements;

o Seizure, protection and sale of property and assets;

o Stay of collections activities due to requests for review, protests, bankruptcy or other activities;

o Resolution or cancellation of an assessment within authority levels; and

o Compliance with tax secrecy laws.

• May be directed to travel to conduct on-site investigations, interviews, inspections of places and/or documents, seizures and/or other field-based activities in order to support the fair application of tax laws to taxpayers, voluntary compliance with sales tax and other laws and regulations, and resolution of delinquent tax obligations; overnight and/or weekend travel may be required.
• Must demonstrate the ability to meet the transportational needs of the job.
• Must become familiar with and adhere to all Department of Taxation and Finance (DTF) and Office of the State Comptroller (OSC) travel rules and requirements.
• Communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, with supervisors, other Department personnel, taxpayers and/or taxpayer representatives about complex tax matters with tact and diplomacy while displaying a calm, courteous, and professional manner.
• Demonstrate initiative and self-motivation.
• Employ customer service tactics during contacts with the taxpayer and/or representative, while exercising independent judgment and tactful interview techniques.
• Wear an audio headset to conduct telephone interviews with taxpayers and their representatives in order to obtain information necessary to negotiate and resolve taxpayers’ outstanding tax obligations.
• Comply with the Office of Human Resources Management; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Code of Conduct; Ethics; Internal Control rules, policies and procedures; and
• Adhere to the Department’s time and attendance rules and regulations.

Minimum Qualifications

Candidates must be current NYS employees eligible for transfer in accordance with Civil Service Laws, Rules, and Regulations.

OR

Reachable on the appropriate Civil Service Eligible List for this title and location.

OR

New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide Program (NY HELPS).

For the duration of the NY HELPS Program, this title may be filled via a non-competitive appointment, which means no examination is required but all candidates must meet the minimum qualifications of the title for which they apply.

Within one year of permanent appointment, it is expected employees hired under NY HELPS will have their non-competitive employment status converted to competitive status, without having to compete in an examination. Employees will then be afforded with all of the same rights and privileges of competitive class employees of New York State. While serving permanently in a NY HELPS title, employees may take part in any promotion examination for which they are qualified.

Non-Competitive Minimum Qualifications:

Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 1:

60 semester credit hours.

OR

30 semester credit hours and one year of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

OR

High school diploma or equivalency and two years of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 2:

60 semester credit hours and one year of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

OR

30 semester credit hours and two years of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

OR

High school diploma or equivalency and three years of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

Taxpayer Services Specialist Journey:

60 semester credit hours and two years of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

OR

30 semester credit hours and three years of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

OR

High school diploma or equivalency and four years of experience testing automated systems, resolving system errors, or conducting collections and/or compliance activities.

OR

Completion of a two-year traineeship.

This position may be filled as a two-year traineeship.

Advanced placement in a traineeship is at the discretion of the hiring agency.

Starting salary for Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 1 - $47,541

Starting salary for Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 2 - $53,132

Starting salary for Taxpayer Services Specialist Journey - $56,183

Employment in this location has an additional location pay.

Additional Information

New York State is an equal opportunity employer. It's the policy of the state of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or an arrest or criminal conviction record unless based on a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Any candidate selected for this position will be subject to a review of their tax return submissions by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. Employment of a candidate is conditioned upon a finding by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance that the candidate is in compliance with all local, state, and federal tax laws.

In accordance with federal government requirements, the employment of any candidate selected for this position is conditioned upon successfully completing a background investigation including a criminal history record check

(fingerprint check).

This position supports telecommuting and will be discussed with qualified candidates at the interview.