Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 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 Positions: These positions exist in the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance in Albany and Rotterdam only.

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Minimum Qualifications

*Minimum Qualifications: On or before February 11, 2023, you must have:

• an associate's degree or higher OR
• 60 or more college semester credit hours.

*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.

Traineeships: The eligible list resulting from this open-competitive examination will be used to fill two-year traineeships leading to Taxpayer Services Specialist 1 G-14.

Upon successful completion of the twelve-month training as a Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 1, you will automatically advance to Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 2 at a salary of $46,529. Upon satisfactory completion of the twelve-month training as a Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 2, you will be advanced to the full title of Taxpayer Services Specialist 1, without further examination, at a salary of $49,202.

An appointee's performance in the trainee position and in the set training and development programs will be observed and evaluated. The training and development program will include extensive on-the-job training and carefully designed and monitored work experience. If an appointee does not meet the standard requirements, they may be terminated at any time after the initial eight weeks and before completion of the traineeship.

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Duties

As a Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 1, you would engage in a variety of training opportunities to develop skills to perform various technical activities that require an in-depth understanding and application of various tax laws. You would also learn how to use automated processing systems in providing taxpayer information, assistance, and technical support. These activities include program development and evaluation; identification of tax processing system requirements; testing of tax processing systems; administration of contracts governing processing activities; provision of taxpayer contact centers' services; and the resolution of return processing errors, taxpayer protests, and requests for refunds. Upon satisfactory completion of the two-year traineeship, you would advance without further examination to the position of Taxpayer Services Specialist 1, G-14.

As a Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 1 (Spanish Language), you would provide information and assistance as described above. A significant portion of your contacts would be with the Spanish-speaking public.

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: S-3SER.
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 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 No. 26-777 Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 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 No. 26-777 Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 1 (Spanish Language), an application will automatically be submitted for you for No. 26-776 Taxpayer Services Specialist Trainee 1 at no additional cost.
7. Qualifying part-time and volunteer experience, which can be verified, will be accepted on a prorated basis.
8. New York State residence is not required.

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).

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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. Arithmetic reasoning - These questions test your ability to solve an arithmetic problem presented in sentence or short paragraph form. You must read the problem, understand the situation presented, decide what must be done to solve it, and apply the appropriate arithmetic operation(s) in the appropriate order, in order to determine the correct answer. Knowledge of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division will be necessary. Questions may also involve the use of percents, decimals, and fractions. 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.
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. 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.
4. 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. Your final score on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' and Civil Service Law Section 85-a credits.

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 *Revised Material: 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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