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Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
Determine tax liability or collect taxes from individuals or business firms according to prescribed laws and regulations.
Other titles employers use
City Tax Auditor · Collections Specialist · Revenue Agent · Revenue Collector · Revenue Officer · Revenue Specialist · Tax Collector · Tax Compliance Officer
Inside the work
What you would actually do.
6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.
- Send notices to taxpayers when accounts are delinquent.
- Confer with taxpayers or their representatives to discuss the issues, laws, and regulations involved in returns, and to resolve problems with returns.
- Notify taxpayers of any overpayment or underpayment, and either issue a refund or request further payment.
- Maintain records for each case, including contacts, telephone numbers, and actions taken.
- Contact taxpayers by mail or telephone to address discrepancies and to request supporting documentation.
- Answer questions from taxpayers and assist them in completing tax forms.
Who it suits
Would this work hold your attention?
This career often appeals to people drawn to organizing, persuading and helping work.
- Organizing
- Creating order, checking details, and keeping work accurate
- Persuading
- Leading, selling, starting projects, or making a case
Skills and strengths
What you would get good at.
Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.
Core skills
- Reading Comprehension
- Active Listening
- Speaking
- Critical Thinking
- Writing
- Mathematics
Subjects to know
- Customer and Personal Service
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Administrative
- Law and Government
Useful strengths
- Oral Comprehension
- Written Comprehension
- Oral Expression
- Deductive Reasoning
- Inductive Reasoning
Working day
Picture yourself doing it.
These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.
| Measure | Out of 5 | What that means here |
|---|---|---|
| Close to other people | 3.1 | Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder |
| On your feet | 1.6 | Mostly seated |
| Talking face to face | 4.1 | A regular part of the day |
| Working with your hands | 2.6 | Little of the day |
Preparation
How people prepare for this work.
Employers usually ask for a bachelor's degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.
- A four-year degree 34%
- A two-year degree 25%
- High school or less 23%
- A certificate or some college 14%
- A master's degree 4%
Tools of the work
Technology you may use.
- Business intelligence and data analysis software
- Accounting software
- Electronic mail software
- Data base user interface and query software
- Tax preparation software
- Spreadsheet software
- Office suite software
- Presentation software
Opportunity near you
See where this work is growing.
Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.
- People doing this work
- 8,300
- Job openings each year
- 610
- Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
- 1.2%
Compare every available state
| State | People doing it | Job openings each year | Expected change |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 8,300 | 610 | 1.2% |
| New York | 4,720 | 80 | 20.4% |
| Texas | 4,010 | 310 | 5.5% |
| Florida | 3,550 | 270 | 4.1% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,710 | 200 | 2.7% |
| Utah | 2,640 | 210 | 10.0% |
| Missouri | 2,190 | 170 | 7.4% |
| Tennessee | 1,880 | 150 | 9.3% |
| Virginia | 1,500 | 120 | 4.9% |
| Georgia | 1,480 | 110 | 1.4% |
| New Jersey | 1,400 | 100 | — |
| Kentucky | 1,320 | 100 | −2.2% |
| North Carolina | 1,290 | 100 | 4.9% |
| Minnesota | 1,220 | 90 | 3.4% |
| Washington | 1,140 | 100 | 7.5% |
| Illinois | 1,100 | 80 | — |
| Alabama | 920 | 70 | 3.4% |
| Ohio | 920 | 70 | 2.2% |
| Arizona | 850 | 60 | 2.4% |
| Michigan | 840 | 60 | −2.3% |
| Connecticut | 830 | 70 | 9.2% |
| Colorado | 700 | 60 | 12.9% |
| Mississippi | 660 | 50 | 4.8% |
| Arkansas | 590 | 40 | 1.7% |
| Puerto Rico | 580 | 50 | 5.5% |
| Indiana | 560 | 40 | — |
| Maryland | 560 | 40 | 3.7% |
| Louisiana | 550 | 40 | 1.9% |
| Massachusetts | 550 | 40 | 3.8% |
| Wisconsin | 470 | 40 | 2.2% |
| Rhode Island | 420 | 30 | 5.0% |
| Maine | 380 | 30 | — |
| Oklahoma | 360 | 30 | 5.9% |
| New Hampshire | 340 | 30 | 6.3% |
| South Carolina | 310 | 30 | 6.9% |
| Oregon | 290 | 20 | 3.6% |
| Idaho | 280 | 20 | — |
| Nevada | 280 | 20 | 3.7% |
| West Virginia | 240 | 20 | — |
| Nebraska | 200 | 20 | 5.3% |
| Iowa | 190 | 10 | — |
| Vermont | 180 | 20 | 5.9% |
| New Mexico | 160 | 10 | — |
| Montana | 120 | 10 | — |
| Delaware | 110 | 10 | — |
| Alaska | 90 | 10 | — |
| North Dakota | 90 | 10 | — |
| Wyoming | 70 | 0 | 16.7% |
| Guam | 60 | 10 | — |
| Kansas | 50 | 0 | — |
Career to college
Build a path toward this work.
Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.
Where to study
Colleges with strong activity in these fields.
Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.
Western Governors University
- Degrees each year
- 1,301
- Admit rate
- Not reported
- Annual cost after aid
- $13,000
Southern New Hampshire University
- Degrees each year
- 797
- Admit rate
- 96%
- Annual cost after aid
- $37,000
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
- Degrees each year
- 525
- Admit rate
- 50%
- Annual cost after aid
- $6,000
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Degrees each year
- 352
- Admit rate
- 44%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
Drexel University
- Degrees each year
- 333
- Admit rate
- 78%
- Annual cost after aid
- $35,000
Texas A & M University-College Station
- Degrees each year
- 298
- Admit rate
- 63%
- Annual cost after aid
- $17,000
Ohio State University-Main Campus
- Degrees each year
- 297
- Admit rate
- 51%
- Annual cost after aid
- $10,000
California State University-Northridge
- Degrees each year
- 257
- Admit rate
- 93%
- Annual cost after aid
- $8,000
Compare every college offering accounting and related services