Tax Compliance Representative 1

Due to the size of the candidate population for this test date, you may be assigned to either Saturday, February 11; Sunday, February 12; Saturday, February 18; or Sunday, February 19 to take your test. Your admission notice will tell you where and when you are scheduled to appear. You cannot request or change your scheduled day.

You must review important information on the New York State Department of Civil Service COVID-19 policy that applies to all candidates sitting for in-person Civil Service examinations being administered at a New York State test center. You can access our full policy on the Department of Civil Service website.

Due to current testing space limitations, candidates may need to travel to a test site to take this examination. Candidates will be notified of their test site location on their admission notice.

If you previously applied for this examination scheduled for March 28, 2020, which was postponed, you do NOT need to reapply. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the qualifications to take the examination. Additional information will be sent to previous applicants via email.

THE LIST RESULTING FROM THIS EXAMINATION WILL BE USED TO FILL TAX COMPLIANCE REPRESENTATIVE 1 POSITIONS IN ALBANY, NEW YORK ONLY FOR BOTH TAXATION AND FINANCE AND LABOR. TAXPAYER SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE 1 POSITIONS ARE LOCATED IN ALBANY AND ROTTERDAM, NEW YORK ONLY AND ONLY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF TAXATION AND FINANCE.

The Positions: Tax Compliance Representative 1 titles exist in both the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Department of Labor. Taxpayer Services Representative 1 positions exist in the Department of Taxation and Finance only. Tax Compliance Representative 1 positions are located in Albany, New York only. Taxpayer Services Representative 1 positions are located in Albany and Rotterdam, New York only.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before February 11, 2023, you must have:

For Nos. 26-833 and 26-834:

Either 1. two years of full-time experience in a position where your primary responsibility is providing information concerning and/or explaining programs, policies, and/or procedures; resolving problems; or reconciling accounts;

Or 2. one year of full-time experience providing tax specific information and/or tax specific assistance to taxpayers;

Or 3. 30 semester credit hours of college-level study AND one year of the experience stated in qualification #1; OR 30 semester credit hours of college-level study AND six months of the experience stated in qualification #2;

Or 4. 60 semester credit hours of college-level study.

For Nos. 26-835 and 26-836:

Either 1. two years of full-time experience in a position where your primary responsibility is providing information concerning and/or explaining programs, policies, and/or procedures; resolving problems; or reconciling accounts;

Or 2. one year of full-time experience providing tax specific information and/or tax specific assistance to taxpayers;

Or 3. one year of full-time experience working on the development, testing, or maintenance of a tax specific system;

Or 4. one year of full-time combined experience of #2 and #3;

Or 5. 30 semester credit hours of college-level study AND one year of the experience stated in qualification #1; OR 30 semester credit hours of college-level study AND six months of individual or combined experience stated in qualification #2 and #3;

Or 6. 60 semester credit hours of college-level study.

One processing fee must accompany your application for either one or both of these examinations.

Examples of non-qualifying experience include but are not limited to: Positions such as: cashier, supermarket clerk, department store clerk, greeter, retail clerk, forms processor, bartenders, wait staff, fast food worker, restaurant worker, hair stylist, receptionist, transferring calls or taking messages, data entry forms processing, taxi operator/driver, bus driver, mental health aide, direct care or home health aide, social worker, counselor, gas station attendant, officer, security guard are examples of positions which are NOT qualifying. THIS LIST IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE.

*If you expect to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2023, you can take the written test. You MUST submit proof of successful completion of the educational requirements to the Appointing Authority at the time of the employment interview or you will not be considered for appointment. Failure to meet the educational requirements by September 30, 2023 may result in your removal from the eligible list.

Your required educational credentials must have been awarded by an educational institution accredited by a regional, national, or specialized agency recognized as an accrediting agency by the United States (U.S.) Department of Education/Secretary of Education. If awarded by an institution outside of the U.S. and its territories, you must provide independent verification of equivalency. A list of companies that provide these services (fees must be paid to the company you choose) can be found at: http://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/degrees.cfm .

Notes:

1. Your degree or college credit must have been awarded by a college or university 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 college credit 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: S3SER.
2. A transition examination is also being held for these positions.
3. Although transition examinations are being held, it is expected that appointments will be made as the result of these examinations open to the public.
4. The New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the New York State Department of Labor 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. Language Proficiency: If you pass the examination for Nos. 26-834 Tax Compliance Representative 1 (Spanish Language) and/or 26-836 Taxpayer Services Representative 1 (Spanish Language), you will be required to demonstrate your Spanish language proficiency at a level that will ensure your ability to perform properly the duties of the position. Only enough candidates to fill current vacancies will be called to the proficiency test.
6. If you submit an application for Nos. 26-834 Tax Compliance Representative 1 (Spanish Language) and/or 26-836 Taxpayer Services Representative 1 (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for Nos. 26-833 Tax Compliance Representative 1 and/or 26-835 Taxpayer Services Representative 1 at no additional cost.
7. Background Investigation: Because of the nature of the position there is an investigative screening that may include a thorough character investigation. All convictions must be reported. Conviction of a felony or misdemeanor or any falsified or omitted information may bar appointment or result in removal after appointment. Each case is determined on its own merits, consistent with the applicable provisions of state and federal laws.
8. Background Investigation: Any candidate selected for a position in the Department of Taxation and Finance 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 of 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).
9. Qualifying part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
10. New York State residence is not required.

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Duties

As a Tax Compliance Representative 1 or a Tax Compliance Representative 1 (Spanish Language), at the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance, under the supervision of a Tax Compliance Representative 2 or Tax Compliance Representative 2 (Spanish Language), you would initially be assigned to one of the Department's collection desk operations working in an environment using the latest technology, software, and automated telephone operations to handle large volumes of incoming and outgoing phone calls and case inventory. You would interact with customers via inbound and outbound calls, and would be responsible for the collection of delinquent assessments and returns. This may require you to explain the collection process; access computer systems in order to provide detailed explanations of assessment(s), account adjustments, payments, and refunds; update taxpayer account information; answer questions concerning the provisions and requirements of the Tax Law; compute taxes, penalties, and interest due to the State; prepare written responses to requests for information; follow up on taxpayers' cases; research Tax Laws and Regulations in commonly used reference materials; provide technical information on other collection options such as settlements; explain enforcement actions available to collect the debt; make address inquiries; and obtain information required to resolve cases. Other duties include but are not limited to negotiating payment arrangements, reviewing financial documentation, locating property and other assets of debtor, and initiating and determining the next step in collection actions including the service of levies. You would be expected to act in a calm, courteous, and reasonable manner even under very difficult, highly stressful, and at times, confrontational circumstances. All calls are subject to monitoring for quality assurance.

As a Tax Compliance Representative 1 or a Tax Compliance Representative 1 (Spanish Language), at the New York State Department of Labor, you would collect delinquent unemployment insurance contributions, interest, penalties, returns and other financial obligations from employers who have not responded to initial correspondence and assessment methods. You would be expected to maintain knowledge of New York State Unemployment Insurance Law, rules, and regulations. Your duties would include interacting with customers via inbound and outbound calls, as well as written correspondence, issuing warrants, levies, and income executions, processing payment and incoming and outgoing correspondence, updating case history, and using various computer systems and databases. You would explain the collection process, the basis of the debt due, the computation of penalties and interest, and the requirements for filing returns. You would also negotiate payment arrangements, locate property and other assets of debtor, and make recommendations for further collection action. You would be expected to act in a calm, courteous, and reasonable manner when you encounter difficult, uncooperative and confrontational customers. You may also be required to work a non-traditional work week which may include evenings and/or weekends. You would work with various State, county, and local agencies and utilize other sources of investigative information for the purpose of locating delinquent business firms or individuals, determining their financial ability to pay, or for knowledge of other liens or liabilities against employer's assets and property. When deemed necessary, you would enforce the collection of delinquent contributions, penalties and interest through income executions, seizures, or levies on the assets of the employer. You would also assist in the sale of seized assets and prepare and submit detailed reports of each case handled. In connection with these assignments, off shift work may be required.

As a Tax Services Representative 1 or a Tax Services Representative 1 (Spanish Language), under the supervision of a Taxpayer Services Representative 2, you would work in an environment using the latest technology and automated operations to provide information and assistance to the taxpaying public. You would answer taxpayers' or tax practitioners' questions by telephone, by letter, or in person concerning the provisions and requirements of the Tax Law administered by the Department; assist taxpayers in their preparation of Corporation, Income, Miscellaneous, and Sales Tax Returns; and assist taxpayers in their computation of taxes, penalties, and interest due the State. You would assist the public in the completion of all applications for licenses and registration forms and prepare written responses to requests for information. You would research Tax Department computer data files using a variety of software applications and provide explanations for account and refund adjustments, verify payments, and update taxpayer account information. You would explain the collection process; access computer systems in order to provide detailed explanations of assessment(s), account adjustments, payments and refunds; negotiate payment agreements. You might issue taxpayer registrations, handle changes in registrations, and respond to taxpayers' inquiries regarding assessments, including explaining the reasons for assessments, and follow-up to resolve taxpayers' problems. You would research Tax Laws and Regulations in the more commonly used reference materials such as tax law publications, attend periodic training sessions to upgrade technical skills, and assist in training seasonal Tax Information Aides. As a Taxpayer Services Representative 1, you would be expected to act in a calm, courteous, and reasonable manner even under very difficult, highly stressful, and at times, confrontational circumstances. When assigned to a call center, you would wear a headset and would answer telephone calls which are automatically and continuously distributed by a complex telephonic system. This system does not allow for breaks between calls; when one caller disconnects, another call is automatically routed to the Taxpayer Services Representative 1. You would be expected to effectively use the telephone system and associated computer software. All calls are subject to monitoring for quality assurance.

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Subject of Examination

To be considered for appointment to this title, you must pass the written test. The written test evaluates your knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the following areas:

1. Customer Service - These questions test for knowledge of techniques used to interact with other people, to gather and present information, and to provide assistance, advice, and effective customer service in a courteous and professional manner. Questions will cover such topics as understanding and responding to people with diverse needs, perspectives, personalities, and levels of familiarity with agency operations, as well as acting in a way that both serves the public and reflects well on your agency.
2. Evaluating conclusions in light of known facts - These questions will consist of a set of facts and a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the facts or if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not be specific to a particular field.
3. 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.
4. 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 phone.
5. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic.

Your 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.

Note: The Department of Civil Service may administer tests either online or with paper booklets and answer sheets.

Admission To The Test: If approved for a written test, you will receive an admission notice which will indicate your assigned test date and the way your test will be administered. Your test may be administered with paper and pencil or online at a state test site using a state-provided Chromebook. You cannot request to change your scheduled day or request a specific type of test administration.

Applicants are required to have a Personal NY.gov account and keep their email address up to date. The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies will communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your test arrangements, 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

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. Any past due application processing fees must be paid in full prior to submitting an application. Please email FeeUnitMail@cs.ny.gov regarding inquiries about any past due 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.

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

The use of cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices at your personal testing site or in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas, except as expressly authorized by the Department of Civil Service, could result in your disqualification.

S3/TB2 SER-rkv
Reissued: 11/30/22

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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