Indian Revenue Service(IRS) is a civil service in India. To become an IRS officer you need to crack the UPSC exam.
The job profile of the Indian Revenue Service Officer is highly reputed in civil services as they deal with revenue collection across the country.
IRS officers work with the Department of Revenue under the Ministry of Finance. Their job profile includes work related to the implementation of policies, collection of revenue, forming direct and indirect tax laws, ensuring all the taxpayers follow the laws, etc.
An Indian Revenue Service officer is appointed as Principal Chief Commissioner of Income Tax and gets a monthly salary of INR 56,100 to INR 2,25,000.
In this blog post, we will discuss all about the IRS officers. This blog will cover the the following topic:
About IRS officers
The life of Indian Revenue Service Officer(IRS) officers
The roles and responsibilities of Indian Revenue Service Officer(IRS) officers
Power of Indian Revenue Service Officer(IRS) officers
Facilities provided to Indian Revenue Service Officer(IRS) officers
Work of Indian Revenue Service Officer(IRS) officers
Salary of Indian Revenue Service Officer(IRS) officers
What is an IRS Officer?
IRS officer(Indian Revenue Service officer)is a civil servant. IRS officer is one of the most reputed profiles in civil services. The main responsibilities of an Indian Revenue Service officer are the generation of Revenue for the country and, the planning and implementation of tax policies.IRS officers are responsible for highly reliable tasks such as collecting taxes, finding the people who are accused of tax violations, and taking strict action against them.
Reasons why one should become IRS officer
If you aim to become an IRS officer. Then you need to appear for the UPSC exam. But before starting your UPSC exam preparation, It is important for you to check out how becoming an Indian Revenue Service officer(IRS officer) is beneficial.
Here are some reasons why one should be an IRS officer in civil services
Zero or limited political interference in the work o
Convenient work option as compared to IAS or IPS.
More stable job in terms of tenure
Less work pressure
More work-life balance
Now you have an idea regarding the benefits of being an IRS officer over other civil services posts. Now we are going to discuss the IRS Officers in detail including the life of an IRS officer, Their roles and responsibilities, Benefits and facilities they avail, and the Salary of an IRS officer. So, keep reading this blog to know more in detail.
Steps to be an IRS officer
To get a job as an IRS officer, you need to crack the UPSC preliminary, main, and Interview rounds. After cracking all the stages of the UPSC exam, the next step will be taken by UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION. The UPSC shortlists the selected candidates who are eligible to join the civil services as an Indian Revenue Service Officer(IRS). The selected candidates need to attend compulsory foundational training in Nagpur at the National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT) for around four months.
After completion of foundational training, the selected candidates get extensive professional training for 16 months. They will get training in specially designed modules such as laws, taxation, fiscal policy, allied accounting, public finances, office procedures, etc.
During this training period, they get a chance to go out of India to learn the taxation practices correspondingly which are followed worldwide.
Life of IRS Officer
The life of an IRS officer is highly challenging. They have to face so many ups and downs in their professional and personal life. But the positive thing is that it’s rewarding. To justify their work, IRS officers are often required to work for long hours. Their work life is not smooth as they have to travel frequently and have to deal with financial matters of the country.
To perform their duty effectively, they must have an excellent level of the following skills:
- Communication skills
- Analytical and Research skills
- Tolerance
- Supervision Skills
- Decision-making skills
Indian revenue service officers start their career life as Assistant Commissioners of Income Tax. After a few years of successful service as assistant commissioners of income tax, they may be promoted to work in any of the units including tax offices, assessment units, investigation units, or other specialized units.
They may be promoted to any of the following positions at any location throughout the country:
Deputy Commissioners(Dy Com.) of Income Tax
Joint Commissioners of Income Tax
Additional Commissioners of Income Tax
Commissioners of Income Tax
Principal Commissioners of Income Tax
Chief Commissioners of Income Tax
Roles and Responsibilities of IRS Officer
If you have prepared your mind to become an IRS officer, then the first thing you need to do is know the roles and responsibilities of IRS officers. It is also important to keep in mind that the responsibilities of the Indian Revenue Service Officer vary depending on the rank and position of the officer.
Here are some primary roles and responsibilities of IRS officers:
Tax Administration
Evaluation of income tax, corporate tax, and other taxes.
Collection of all types of taxes such as income tax, corporate tax, and other taxes.
Formulation of policies on taxes
Implementing amendments in the policies of taxes in collaboration with the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
Investigation of tax evasion
Investigation of financial crimes.
Enforcing tax laws and regulations
Curbing Black Money
Confirming that the tax violators must be penalized
Providing tax advice and guidance to taxpayers
Representing the government in tax tribunals and courts.
IRS Officer Uniform
The uniform of an IRS officer is fixed up to the rank of Deputy Commissioner. There is no fixed uniform for officers who hold higher ranks.
Here is detailed information on the uniform of IRS officer according to their ranks.
Central Excise officers in the Indian Revenue Service wear a Khaki uniform with stars on the shoulders with I.R.S. written on the shoulder plate.
The Customs officers in the IRS wear a white colored uniform with golden and black stripes on the shoulder.
IRS Officer Salary
If you are preparing for the UPSC exam with the mindset to get a job as an IRS officer then you must know the salary, an IRS officer gets.
An Indian Revenue Service Officer gets a starting salary of Rs.56,100 per month with a grade pay of Rs.5400. The maximum salary that a principal chief commissioner of Income
Tax gets is Rs. 2,25,000
The Career of IRS Officer
IRS officer has various career opportunities.
They can make careers in different departments such as overseas, taxation, Research & Analysis Wing,
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Ministries of the Union Government, and Intelligence Bureau (IB).
IRS officers can also work as Income Tax Ombudsman as well as
chairperson of CBDT (Central Board of Direct Taxes).
IRS Officer Facilities
Apart from the basic salary, IRS officers get a wider range of facilities and allowances, including:
- HRA(Housing Allowance)
- Travel allowances
- Dearness allowances
- City compensatory allowances
- Automobiles
- Medical facilities
- Leave Benefits
- Pension after retirement
- Free telephone at home
- Broadband connection at home
- 3 BSNL SIM cards
- Educational allowance for children
- Reimbursement of tuition fees
- Group insurance coverage
- Loan facilities at concessional interest rates.
Conclusion
Being an IRS officer is proud. If you are planning to make your career as an IRS officer. All you need to do is know all about the IRS and then start your preparation for UPSC with the aim of cracking it.
Hope this blog post will help you get on the path to your journey of being an IRS officer