Vehicle Tax Specialist

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Arlington County requires all applicants to thoroughly complete each section of the application, including prior job responsibilities, duties, and supplemental questions. While you may attach a resume, it will not replace a completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

The Arlington County Commissioner of Revenue (COR) is seeking a Tax Specialist I for its Vehicle Personal Property Division. This position will perform enforcement of tax laws and regulations to promote revenue collection for the government, specifically related to vehicle personal property taxes. The position will conduct field investigations of residential parking facilities to assess taxable property within the County.

Specific duties include:

• Performing personal property tax assessment and enforcement;
• Aiding in interpreting new vehicle personal property laws;
• Ensuring citizens compliance with vehicle personal property State and County tax laws and registration;
• Assisting Arlington County taxpayers in preparing state income tax returns;
• Answering customer questions and resolving issues in person, by email, or over the phone in a call center;
• Investigating cases of non-compliance and takes appropriate actions to bring taxpayers into compliance, which may include penalties, fines, or legal action;
• Operating and troubleshooting the Automated License Plate Reader; and 
• Educating Arlington residents on vehicle tax policy and state income tax policy.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Working knowledge of Virginia State tax law;
• Excellent written, reading and oral communication skills to comprehend and apply complex legal policies and compose letters or narrative reports;
• Strong interpersonal skills to resolve taxation assessments and provide high level customer service;
• Strong research and analytical skills and familiarity with Lexis/Nexis, Violent Criminal Information Network (VCIN) database and the DMV MOCHA database; and
• Maintenance of professional knowledge of state income tax law.

Minimum:

• High School Diploma/GED or equivalent; and
• Some experience working on property tax issues, researching and analyzing taxpayer information and/or preparing Federal/State tax returns.

Substitution: Additional related education may be substituted for the experience requirement.

Desirables: Preference may be given to candidates with experience/proficiency with one or more of the following:

• Working directly with the public explaining policies, procedures and/or tax regulations to customers; and/or
• Microsoft Office Suite (Word and Excel) and familiarity with tax /revenue software.

Special Requirements

Background Check: A pre-hire background check will be made on all candidates selected for employment. It may include checks of the following: criminal record, driving record, education, professional licensure, and credit history. You may be required to sign a release authorizing the County to obtain your background information.

Driver's License: The applicant must possess, or obtain by the time of appointment, a valid driver's license. The applicant must authorize Arlington County to obtain or provide a copy of their official driving record. Any offer of employment may be contingent upon a favorable review of the applicant's driving record. 

Licensure/Coursework: Employee is required to take and successfully complete a tax preparation course within 12 months of employment and prior to the beginning of tax season.

Additional Information

Work Hours: 40 hours a week. Work hours are Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm. Position requires compliance inspections twice weekly with work hours from 5:30 am – 1:30 pm. This position requires a minimum of three months of on-site work during the training period. After one year of on-site work and supervisor approval, the position then moves to a set schedule of one week of telework and one week of on-site work. Please note that all COR staff are required to be in the office on Wednesdays (Collaboration Days).

The official title of this position is Tax Specialist I.

All positions within the COR are Non-Bargaining (NB). Employees of the COR serve at the pleasure of the Commissioner of Revenue.

All COR employees are eligible for County government employee benefits that include health, dental, vacation and sick leave, commuter transportation subsidies, tuition reimbursement, as well as a generous retirement plan.

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