How to hire a tax compliance agent

How to hire a tax compliance agent, step by step

Here's a step-by-step tax compliance agent hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a tax compliance agent job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new tax compliance agent
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the tax compliance agent you need to hire. Certain tax compliance agent roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A tax compliance agent's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, tax compliance agents from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of tax compliance agents and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Tax Compliance Agent	Description	Hourly rate
   Tax Compliance Agent	Tax examiners and collectors, and revenue agents ensure that federal, state, and local governments get their tax money from businesses and citizens. They review tax returns, conduct audits, identify taxes owed, and collect overdue tax payments.	$6-36
   Revenue Officer	Revenue officers are employees who work for government agencies such as the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or the Canada Revenue Agency that collect delinquent taxes and overdue tax returns from taxpayers... Show more	$42-216
   Tax Examining Technician	In comparison to other jobs, tax examining technician is projected to have an enormous growth of reputation with the taxation service. Moreover, tax examining technicians have a plethora of skills in relation to tax compliance and revenue service.	$13-31

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Internal Audit
   • AML
   • Law Enforcement Agencies
   • Anti-Money Laundering
   • Compliance Program
   • Child Support Cases
   • Internal Controls
   • Compliance Issues
   • FinCEN
   • SAR
   • DOT
   • Administrative Hearings
   • Subpoenas
   • State Laws

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Participate in OCC exam preparation and review including research and presentation of documentation to achieve compliance with federal examiner requests.
   • Identify all transactions in OTC equity securities and ascertain that every recommendation to customers meet suitability standards via exclusion or exemption.
   • Start job by assisting TurboTax user's on how to enter information into the TurboTax program.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your tax compliance agent job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A tax compliance agent salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, tax compliance agents' average salary in florida is 67% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level tax compliance agents earn 81% less than senior-level tax compliance agents.
   • Certifications. A tax compliance agent with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a tax compliance agent's salary.

   Average tax compliance agent salary

   $15.90hourly

   $33,075 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level tax compliance agent salary

   $14,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

4. Writing a tax compliance agent job description

   A job description for a tax compliance agent role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a tax compliance agent job description:

   Tax compliance agent job description example

   Purpose of Job To perform the operational tasks tied to the Company's Customs Brokerage services product. The duties include all tasks related to Customs clearance at the desk level, including Customs entry, clearance follow up with Customs & Border Protection (CBP), and other Partner Government Agencies (PGA), such as Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Department of Transportation (DOT), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and others as needed. Summary of Benefits KINTETSU WORLD EXPRESS (U.S.A.), INC. SUMMARY OF BENEFITS Medical Plan including Prescription Eligible for medical coverage on the 1 st month following one (1) month of employment. CIGNA is the current provider, offering 3 plans. Dental Plan Eligible for dental coverage on the 1 st month following one (1) month of employment. CIGNA is the current provider, offering 2 plans. Vision Care Eligible for vision coverage on the 1 st month following one (1) month of employment. VSP Vision Care is the current provider, offering 1 plan. Flexible Spending Account (FSA) Medical Flexible Spending Account Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account Health Savings Account (HSA) Health Savings Account when enrolled in Cigna High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) Life Insurance Life insurance (1½ times annual salary up to a maximum benefit of $50,000); Supplemental life insurance (at the expense of the employee); Long term disability (LTD) coverage; Accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage Paid Time Off (PTO) PTO begins to accrue for eligible new hires on their first day of employment with the Company, subject to the accrual cap. Paid Holidays Newly hired employees are entitled to all mandatory and optional/shift holidays that remain for the calendar year. A newly hired employee who begins employment after January 1 of the calendar year is not entitled to more than ten (12) paid holidays for that calendar year. Retirement Plan 401(k) Plan (current employer match .50 cents for each employee dollar) subject to the current vesting schedule. Wellness Day Eligible for one (1) Wellness Day for an annual physical exam per year subject to submission of required documentation. Voluntary Benefits Hospital Indemnity Insurance Accident Insurance Critical Illness Insurance Commuter Benefits - Parking and Transit This summary is provided for informational purposes only. Plan details are subject to change. Once employed with Kintetsu World Express (U.S.A.), Inc. plan details and enrollment forms will be provided. RESPONSIBILITIES Essential Duties & Responsibilities 1. Customs clearance processing for local and assigned HUB accounts
   2. Follow up on all Customs and PGA clearances
   3. Communicate with clients related to entry and delivery instructions; this responsibility involves managing a large volume of e-mails and phone calls
   4. Communication with vendors related to delivery or other issues in carrying out services.
   5. Dispatch shipments for delivery, monitor progress, obtain Proof of Delivery (POD) and update delivery milestones.
   6. Provide notification to Supervisors, Managers, and Corporate Trade Compliance Group (CTCG) as applicable for issues which require escalation such as Customs or PGA holds, CBP or PGA exams, and any written notices received from CBP or a PGA
   7. Compliance with all Import Brokerage Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) statements which relate to the desk level work for Import Brokerage as issued and monitored by local Management and CTCG
   8. Compliance with all Company Security policies
   9. Compliance with all applicable government laws and regulations as pertaining to work performed BASIC QUALIFICATIONS & REQUIREMENTS Basic Qualifications & Requirements List any required educational attainments (degrees, certificates, licenses, etc.): College education, and a Customs Brokerage License would be a benefit to the company for this position. List any required skills (computer, machinery, typing, etc.): Computer skills, including Microsoft Office knowledge is required. List any required special attributes (ability to move/pick-up certain weight capacity, personality traits, certain aptitudes, etc.): Must be highly organized, and able to communicate effectively List any required experience (of what type, for what duration, in what industry, etc.): The position requires knowledge of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), Customs regulations, and PGA regulations related to FDA, FCC, DOT, EPA, etc. Industry experience is extremely useful in determining success in this position. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Preferred Qualificatio ns List any preferred educational attainments (degrees, certificates, licenses, etc.): Certified Customs Specialist
   List any preferred skills (computer, machinery, typing, etc.): N/A
   List any preferred special attributes (ability to move/pick-up certain weight capacity, personality traits, certain aptitudes, etc.):
   List any preferred experience (of what type, for what duration, in what industry, etc.): The position requires knowledge of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS), Customs regulations, and PGA regulations related to FDA, FCC, DOT, EPA, etc. Industry experience is extremely useful in determining success in this position.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find tax compliance agents for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your tax compliance agent job on Zippia to find and recruit tax compliance agent candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting tax compliance agents requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new tax compliance agent

   Once you've selected the best tax compliance agent candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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