Tax Technician Trainee 1

IMPORTANT: Unless waived, you must pay the non-refundable processing fee. For information on fee waivers, visit https://www.cs.ny.gov/examannouncements/types/oc/appinfo.cfm##Fee. It is important that you verify that you entered the correct examination number and title on your online or paper application prior to submitting. If you apply online, you should immediately review your email confirmation notice to verify that you applied for the correct examination. If you do not receive a confirmation number after submitting your online application, your application was NOT received by the Department of Civil Service. No late applications will be accepted after the filing deadline has passed.

Appointees who work in the five boroughs of New York City or in Nassau, Suffolk, Rockland, or Westchester Counties will receive an additional $3,026 annual downstate adjustment. Appointees who work in Dutchess, Orange, or Putnam Counties will receive an additional $1,513 annual mid-Hudson adjustment.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before March 16, 2019, you must have:

Either 1. successfully completed an associate's or higher degree which included a minimum of 12 semester credit hours in accounting and/or auditing. HOWEVER, you may apply for this examination if you expect to complete an associate's or higher degree and the accounting/auditing course requirements by September 30, 2019. You MUST submit with your application a list of all accounting/auditing courses* (include courses you expect to complete by September 30, 2019), the number of credit hours earned/expected for each course, and the name of the college(s) or institution(s).

or 2. two years of satisfactory full-time accounting or auditing experience, one year of which must have been in maintaining or auditing double-entry books of a business, including the general ledger, or in maintaining a governmental agency's books, involving appropriation accounting and the preparation of budget and financial reports, or in the field auditing of such books.

*Qualifying accounting/auditing courses must have the word accounting, auditing, or taxation in the course title. If successful on the test, you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the education requirement to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance.

Examples of the kinds of experience which will not be considered as qualifying experience are account-clerical experience and experience limited to posting, maintaining, examining, or preparing one or more of the following: voucher register, sales register, cashbook, insurance register, accounts receivable ledger, accounts payable ledger, and other special journal or subsidiary ledger; or experience preparing tax returns. Vague wording or omissions WILL NOT be interpreted in your favor and will result in the disapproval of your application.

If you expect to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2019, you can be admitted to the written test, but you cannot be considered for appointment until you submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirement to the Appointing Authority at the time of the employment interview. Failure to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2019 may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Notes

1. Your degree or high school diploma or equivalency diploma must have been awarded by a college, university, high school or educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the U.S. Department of Education/U.S. Secretary of Education. If your degree or high school diploma was awarded by an educational institution outside the United States and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. You can write to the Examination Information Desk of the NYS Department of Civil Service for a list of acceptable companies who provide this service. This information can also be found on the Internet at http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm. You must pay the required evaluation fee. If you are applying on the Internet, you must mail the independent verification of equivalency to the New York State Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239. Attention: S2MAS.
2. A transition examination is also being held for these positions.
3. Although a transition examination is being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as the result of this examination open to the public.
4. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance has the option of making appointments from either the list resulting from this examination open to the public or the list resulting from the transition examination. If you meet the requirements for both examinations, you may wish to file for both. The processing fee must be paid for this examination unless you are eligible for a fee waiver.
5. Upon successful completion of the 12-month training as a Tax Technician Trainee 1, you will automatically advance to Tax Technician Trainee 2 at a salary of $42,986. Upon satisfactory completion of the 12-month training as a Tax Technician Trainee 2, you will be advanced to the full title of Tax Technician 1, without further examination, at a salary of $45,455. An appointee's performance in the trainee position and in prescribed training and development programs will be observed and evaluated. The prescribed training and development program will include extensive on-the-job training and carefully designed and monitored work experience. An appointee not meeting required standards can be terminated at any time after the initial eight weeks and before completion of the traineeship.
6. Appropriate part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
7. New York State residence is not required.

Additional Notes

1. Any candidate selected for this position will be subject to a review of their tax return submissions by the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance. Employment of a candidate is conditioned upon a finding by the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance that the candidate is in compliance with all local, state, and federal tax laws.
2. 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).

The Positions

These positions exist in the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance at various locations throughout the state. The majority of vacancies are in Albany.

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Duties

As a Tax Technician Trainee 1, you will participate in a two-year traineeship in which you will be trained to perform desk audits and related activities involving tax returns filed under various articles of the Tax Law administered by the Department. Training will consist of on-the-job training, supplemented by formal classroom training, designed to develop journey-level skills as a desk audit technician.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Basic account keeping and bookkeeping practices - These questions test for a knowledge of basic principles and practices of account keeping and bookkeeping. The questions test for recognizing account keeping and bookkeeping terms, concepts and relationships; recording financial transactions; and solving elementary problems in account keeping and bookkeeping.
2. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
3. Understanding and interpreting tabular material - These questions test your ability to understand, analyze, and use the internal logic of data presented in tabular form. You may be asked to perform tasks such as completing tables, drawing conclusions from them, analyzing data trends or interrelationships, and revising or combining data sets. The concepts of rate, ratio, and proportion are tested. Mathematical operations are simple, and computational speed is not a major factor in the test. You should bring with you a hand-held battery or solar-powered calculator for use on this test. You will not be permitted to use the calculator function of your cell phones.
4. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test how well you comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be asked questions about the selections. All the information required to answer the questions will be presented in the selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas of the selections.

our final score must be 70 or higher in order to pass. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits to your final passing score.

Important: The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies may communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your examination results and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Appointment to many positions in State government require candidates to undergo an investigative screening. This may include a thorough character investigation, a Federal Bureau of Investigation Criminal Record History Check, a Child Abuse Registry clearance, or other similar procedures. Candidates may be fingerprinted and may be required to pay any necessary fees for that procedure. Depending on the nature of the job, the criminal convictions discovered, or any falsified or omitted information revealed, the investigative findings may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment.

Eligibility for Employment

You must be legally eligible to work in the United States at the time of appointment and throughout your employment with New York State. If appointed, you must produce documents that establish your identity and eligibility to work in the United States, as required by the federal Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Administration Unit of the Department of Civil Service. In the Albany area, call 518-457-2487. Outside of the Albany area, call toll free at 1-877-697-5627. For TDD services, call NY Relay at 711 (requires a fee) or 1-800-662-1220.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your written test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

Do not bring cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices to the test site. The use of such devices at the test site in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas could result in your disqualification.

S2/TB2 MAS-dah
Issued: 12/28/18

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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