How To Become an IRS Officer?

Being an inevitable part of the prestigious Civil Services to work under the government of India, Indian Revenue Servies is a perfect career profile for those who are intrigued by the economy and exhibit excellent leadership qualities. An IRS Officer is not merely an administrator but a professional who understands the economic framework of the country. Ranging from small scale to MNCs and big business houses, an IRS interacts with all the components of the economy. If you imagine yourself in the shoes of an IRS Officer serving the nation, you must be handling the responsibility of maintaining a proper check on the collection of revenues (taxes). Wondering how to become an IRS Officer? Let our blog guide you through a process for the same. 

Difference Between IRS Officer and an Income Tax Inspector

Just as the various departments in a college has a HOD (Head Of the Department), similarly an IRS officer is a superior level officer managing the departments of Income Tax and Customs. Their general roles & responsibilities are aligned with handling and supervising the activities of both departments. Along with these departments, various other departments falling under the central and state government are also managed by them. Here are some quick pointers to know about the major difference between the duties of a revenue officer and Income Tax Inspector:

• In the customs and Income Tax departments, IRS officers are responsible for identifying the various procedures of tax evasion
• They possess the powers to seizure and take action against the people playing with the taxes
• They also play a role in formulating, amending and framing the statutes with respect to the taxes

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How to Become an IRS Officer?

An IRS officer plays a significantly major role in guarding all the economic activities of the country and exposing many scams that may happen involving the collection of income tax. Being a guarding authority, the IRS officers work with esteemed organizations like CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), RAW (Research and Analysis Wing) etc. Falling under the civil services examination, Indian Revenue Services offers major positions in two branches such as: 

• IRS (Income Tax)
• IRS (Customs and Central Excise)

Both the branches independently are controlled by two distinct statutory authorities, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). As an IRS officer, you will be serving the nation by collecting the revenue for governance, department and security. 

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Eligibility Criteria

Being a competitive exam, IRS is a part of civil services which are considered as the most popular and toughest exams in India. It is conducted by the UPSC (Union Public Service Commission) and recruits the young minds of the country for the Revenue Department. IRS provides the esteemed Group A services through which candidates will get work within the administrative revenue. To qualify as an IRS officer, students must fall under the set eligibility criteria such as: 

Educational Qualification to Become an IRS Officer

It is compulsory for the candidates to possess any of the below-mentioned requirements:

• Degree from Central, State or Deemed University 
• A degree through correspondence or distance education
• Degree from an open university 
• Any qualification which is equivalent to any of the above recognised by the Government of India

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Apart from these degrees, candidates possessing the following can also appear in the exam. To enter through this route candidates have to submit written proof from the concerned Institute or university during the time of main examinations. If you are somehow unable to show the required documents, candidates will not be allowed to attend the exam.

• Students who have completed the final examination of the MBBS degree but are yet to complete their internship
•  Those who have qualified the final examination of CA, ICSI, ICWAI 
•  A degree from a private university
• Degree from any foreign university recognised by the Association of Indian Universities

Nationality 

To become an IRS officer, here are some more entry requisites regarding the nationality of the aspirants.

• A citizen of India 
•  Individuals of Indian origin who have migrated from Pakistan, Myanmar, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Zaire, Zambia, Vietnam or Ethiopia with the intentions of permanently settling in India

Age to Become an IRS Officer

There are certain reservations in the examination based on the castes, thus the minimum age limit for students belonging to any background is 21 years of age whereas the upper age limit for various categories is as follows:

• For General Category: 32years 
• For OBC: up to 35 years
• For SC/ST: up to 37 years

Number of Attempts

Candidates falling in the different categories have a set limit for making the maximum attempts to be an IRS officer. Given below is a list for the same: 

• General Category: 6
• OBC Candidates: 9
• SC/ST: No restriction 

IRS Officer Exam Pattern

Out of the plethora of candidates appearing in the IRS exam, only a few are able to make it to the merit list. The selection process is divided into 3 parts- Preliminary exams, Mains exam followed by an interview. For a detailed insight into the exam pattern read our blog on the IAS exam pattern. 

We hope you found answers to “how to become an IRS officer”, through our blog. If you want to study abroad and capture the numerous growth opportunities, contact us at Leverage Edu and our experts here will help you get admissions in the leading universities of abroad!