Glassdoor is your free inside look at IRS interview questions and advice. All 55 interview reviews posted anonymously by IRS employees and interview candidates.
IRS Interview Questions & Reviews
Getting the Interview 55 Interviews
Interview Experience 50 Ratings
Contact Representative at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Atlanta, GA Sep 2012 – Reviewed Oct 2, 2012
Interview Details – Applied in June and heard back from them in September to take an online assessment test. Passed that then couple of days later was asked to come in for a telephone assessment test and an interview with about 6 questions afterwards. Was told the only Tour of Duty left was 3-11:30 shift. Waiting to hear something back this week.
Interview Question – Interview questions were general and nothing unexpected for a position of such. Answer Question
Negotiation Details – Not negotiable
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Individual Tax Advisory Specialist at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in San Diego, CA Jun 2009 – Reviewed Sep 30, 2012
Interview Details – Detailed, they know all about you, do not lie, the IRS is a great place to work if you qualify. You must be clean but very clean, no bad marks, and you must not be disabled they will find out and let you go.
Interview Question – Do you have any bank accounts in another state? I did not comprehend until after my father's death, he had hidden accounts using my name to hide his money and I still have not found them. Yet the IRS knows where they are. View Answer
Negotiation Details – No negotiation, but I wish I had not accepted the job, tough as nails with 85 case loads per month and no room for error.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Contact Representative at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Holtsville, NY – Reviewed Sep 28, 2012
Interview Details – Applied online, 2 weeks later went in for pre-employment meeting with about 30 others. Piles of paperwork. Then set up another appointment for a telephone assessment and quick interview.
Interview Question – During the phone assessment they purposefully try to mess you up. A little pressure, but totally doable. Answer Question
Negotiation Details – None, set times and salaries.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Customer Service Representative at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Indianapolis, IN – Reviewed Sep 23, 2012
Interview Details – Long from the time of applying an getting a email response but they are reviewing shortening the process.
Interview Question – No real intense questions asked you just have to remember its the government an anything negative in your background can possible cause for the interview process to be stalled or stopped. Answer Question
Negotiation Details – No real negotiation your shift is already decided upon & skills test an resume pretty much determines your grade (pay). Clean background no felonys, no previous tax issue, & no previous employer disciplinary issues on file.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Data Transcriber at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Kansas City, MO Dec 2009 – Reviewed Jul 30, 2012
Interview Details – After passing a typing test (three chances to pass) they told you when to show up for two week class. Your picture for your ID was taken at that time.
Interview Question – No question asked was too difficult or unexpected. Routine questions. They do a background check on you. View Answer
Negotiation Details – They asked you if you wanted the job and when the two week classes start. The salary is not negotiable - it's preset.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Tax Examiner at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Ogden, UT Feb 2008 – Reviewed Jul 24, 2012
Interview Details – I found the job listing on a job board and was asked to come in for a test. It was a similar test to the SAT. Once my score was tabulated, I spoke briefly with a recruiter who placed me in a position. It was an easy process, really, but there are a lot of background checks you must submit to to work for the government.
Interview Question – You have to submit to annual training to affirm that you won't disclose any sensitive taxpayer information. There is a lot that goes into that, and it's often difficult for some people to comply. View Answer
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Internal Revenue Agent at IRS
No Offer – Interviewed in San Antonio, TX Jun 2011 – Reviewed May 23, 2012
Interview Details – internal
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Customer Service Representative at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Memphis, TN Jan 2010 – Reviewed May 10, 2012
Interview Details – It was short and simple.
Interview Question – i dont remember Answer Question
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Contact Representative at IRS
Accepted Offer – Interviewed in Andover, MA Oct 2011 – Reviewed Mar 20, 2012
Interview Details – Applied online, heard back about 2 weeks later of my "rating". Because of rating, link was sent to take an online skills assessment. Basic test. About 2 weeks after that received a phone call to schedule a telephone assessment, that was no big deal, you are given all materials you need to take assessment - sort of a role play on the telephone. About 3 weeks later I received an initial offer of employment over the phone, pending background check, tax compliance check, reference check and fingerprinting session. One week after fingerprint I got my start date for training.
Interview Questions
- Can you give me an example of a time you were asked by a manager to do something outside of your job description, and how did you handle it? View Answer
- Can you give me an example of a time you had to deal with an upset customer and how you worked with them? View Answer
Negotiation Details – No negotiation. Government GS position.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Business at IRS
No Offer – Interviewed in Washington, DC Jan 2012 – Reviewed Feb 1, 2012
Interview Details – Applied through USAJOBS about 3 months before actually getting an interview. USAJOBS kept me updated of the status of my application, and the HR people were not helpful at all - just not responsive. Eventually I got a status update that my application was being referred to a hiring official, and within a few weeks, they called me for an interview.
Interview Questions
- Here is a case study of situation X, please describe how you would approach this problem and what you would do? Answer Question
- Why should we choose you to work here? Answer Question
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Problem with this interview?
Work in HR or Recruiting?
Interviews by Company
Salaries by Company
Flag this {0} as inappropriate
Would you like us to review something? Please describe the problem with this {0} and we will look into it.
Oops!
We're sorry but your feedback didn't make it to the team. Your input is valuable to us – would you mind trying again?
The difficulty rating is the average interview difficulty rating across all interview candidates.
The interview experience is the percentage of all interview candidates that said their interview experience was positive, neutral, or negative.
Your response will be removed from the review – this cannot be undone.
