Excise Tax Examiner 3

Full Job Description

Attention Revenue! Your Taxpayer Account Administration (TAA) division is excited to announce opportunities for several Excise Tax Examiner 3 (ETE 3) positions. Make a difference, join our team!

Taxpayer Account Administration (TAA) is a division of Revenue that administers many programs including forest excise tax, fish tax, cigarette and other tobacco products taxes, local sales tax, tax incentives, and reseller permits.

Additionally, the division is responsible for the distribution of state and local taxes, ensuring compliance with the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act, and returning unclaimed property (UCP) to the rightful owners.

This is an opportunity to work with supportive teams: we value the open exchange of ideas and information, work together to solve problems, and continuously seek ways to enhance usability and improve customer service.

At our core, TAA values above all:

• Getting work done accurately.
• Working efficiently.
• Sharing new ideas.
• Being kind.

We believe the success of one is key to the success of all and strive to ensure a cooperative and supportive environment. You can expect:

• Work that is challenging.
• Enough tasks you will never run out of work to do.
• Variance from day to day and the ability to do multiple activities each day.
• Comprehensive paid training through your first year of employment.
• Opportunity for growth and development.
• Teleworking options and flexible work schedules.

Requirements

As an ETE 3, you will play an important role in the training and development of other examiners within the division by creating new procedures, presenting, and mentoring. In addition, you will also provide training, education, and instruction to taxpayers, taxpayer's representatives, and government entities. Some of what you will do includes:

• Train and Mentor: Help train other examiners by creating new procedures, conducting work review, giving presentations, and mentoring.
• Educate Customers: Provide training and guidance to taxpayers, their representatives, and government entities.
• Communicate: Clearly and effectively communicate both in writing and verbally.
• Use Judgement: Make decisions independently to complete tasks.
• Customer Service: Answer phone calls and web messages about various tax topics.
• Research: Conduct research on complex issues.
• Examine Records: Perform detailed financial examinations of taxpayer records to ensure they follow tax laws.
• Monitor Systems: Test and review critical tax reporting systems to ensure accuracy.
• Risk Management: Use your expert knowledge to identify and reduce risks for the Department.
• Adjust Accounts: Verify and adjust funds for local jurisdictions and special tax authorities. Issue debit/credit notices, refunds, or tax assessments within your authority.
• Collaborate and Contribute: Work with team members and other departments to share knowledge and improve processes.

Additional Information:

Interviews - Please be aware interviews may be conducted virtually using a webcam teleconferencing method.

Telework - This position has the flexibility to work remotely the majority of the time, however the duty station is in Tumwater, Washington and the successful candidate must agree to travel to the office for key scheduled meetings or as operational needs dictate. Details of teleworking considerations will be addressed during the interview process.

Qualifications

To qualify as an ETE3:

An individual applying for this position should have demonstrated the following competencies:

Producing a high volume of work while maintaining accuracy:

• Completing a large volume of items in a short period of time with a high degree of accuracy.
• Complete assigned projects while balancing other goals.

Attention to Detail:

• Monitoring steps within a process for accuracy.

Familiarity of Procedures:

• Being aware of current procedures.
• Locating procedures that are available for a work function to be completed.
• Ensuring actions follow established procedures.
• Creating and modifying procedures.

Written Communication:

• Efficiently compose and tailor professional correspondence to customers.
• Answering inquiries from customers in writing.
• Understands Department correspondence guidelines for Plain Talk style of writing.
• Educating others on written communications.

Verbal Communication

• Effectively and tactfully communicating with taxpayers and other employees.
• Creating and providing presentations or training to others.
• Be responsive to inquiries in a timely manner.

Providing Feedback

• Provide individual assistance for other employees.
• Provide tactful feedback when errors are made.
• Being willing to have respectful crucial conversations.

Leadership Skills

• Provide direction and guidance to others, as well as facilitate structure and teamwork.
• Be a positive role model for the team.
• Volunteer for projects outside your normal functions.

Interpersonal Skills

• Works cooperatively and contributes to group solutions through constructive feedback, encourages ideas, and provides appropriate suggestions.
• Getting along well with others.
• Actively listen. Seek to understand the full message.

Customer Service:

• Delivering less desirable news, fielding inquiries, and de-escalating upset customers.
• Providing customer service on the phone through calling customers and returning customer inquiries.
• Answering incoming phone calls from customers you have not worked with before.

Adaptability and Flexibility:

• Adjusting your work focus based on work inventory.
• Willing to take on project assignments as they are discovered.
• Identifies projects and improvements.
• Adapt to regular interruptions throughout your work day with a positive and welcoming attitude.

Information Technology Proficiency:

• Advanced working knowledge of ATLAS and My DOR.
• Intermediate spreadsheet skills to use basic formulas, tables, filtering, and sorting.
• Intermediate document skills to compose messages. Using bolding, white space, bullets, and other formatting to ensure the message is clear.
• Knowledge of track changes, hyperlinks, and comments.

Decision making and applying independent judgment:

• Making and advising on independent decisions.
• Applying judgement to determine the most accurate action when multiple potential actions could be taken.
• Showcasing comfortability in work environments when decisions are treated on a case-by-case basis. Coming prepared to others with potential actions and the pitfalls associated with those actions.
• Considering steps that may be missing in the procedure and considering all potential consequences of an action.

Information Gathering

• Research procedures.
• Gather information from taxpayers.
• Identify necessary questions to validate reporting.

Understanding of Washington Excise Tax Laws and Rules

• Intermediate knowledge of laws, rules, policies and procedures relative to the Department of Revenue.
• Ability to utilize court decisions and regulatory advisories applicable to taxpayers.
• Basic knowledge of the legislative process.

Time Management:

• Independently managing your time to ensure goals are met.
• Balancing a large variety of work tasks and following up timely on assigned work.
• Incorporating interruptions into your day and still completing goals.
• Fitting in projects in addition to your regular work.

Organization:

• Keeping organized to ensure deadlines are not missed, messages are responded to, and projects are completed.

Self-Management:

• Motivating yourself to complete your goals.
• Working your entire work shift on work related items in a virtual or in person environment.
• Take ownership of your learning and continued knowledge.
• Actively works to continuously improve job effectiveness and efficiency; accepts personal responsibility to develop talents and knowledge.

Demonstration of consistently using the following competencies at an advanced level:

• Understands state tax structure, tax administration, program planning and scheduling.

Preference may be granted to candidates who possess the following:

• Experience completing and delivering work reviews to others.
• One year as an Excise Tax Examiner 2.
• Two years Department of Revenue experience at the journey level in accounting, auditing, compliance or tax administration.
• 6 semester (9 quarter) hours of accounting, business law, money and banking, or finance coursework has been completed.
• Six years of experience in accounting, banking, auditing, tax compliance or tax administration, provided candidate has experience working with the Department’s mission critical systems.
• Has a bachelor’s degree in business, accounting, or related field.
• Has an intermediate understanding of Lean Six Sigma methodologies, principles and practices.

To be considered:

• Complete the online application in detail, as it will be used as your initial resume.
• Attach a letter of interest describing how you meet the qualifications.
• Include three or more professional references with current contact information.

* Note - Applications received without these materials may not be considered.

To take advantage of Veteran's preference, please attach your DD-214, member 4 long form, or your NGB-22. Please blackout your social security number and date of birth before attaching.


Questions?

Hello, my name is Lance, and I will be assisting with this announcement. As a 20-year Department of Revenue employee, I understand the importance of finding a rewarding career with a work-life balance. At Revenue, we pride ourselves in connecting talented individuals with opportunity and would like to answer any questions you have.

Please contact any part of the Staffing team at Jobs@dor.wa.gov or give me a call (360) 704-5725.

Additional Information

This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Department of Revenue and the Washington Public Employees Association (WPEA).

The Department of Revenue is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and offer a respectful, inclusive culture for people with disabilities, as well as members of all protected groups and statuses. We encourage you to apply.

If you need help during the application process, please call the Human Resources Office at 360-704-5731. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.