IRS to hire 5,000 workers: no tax experience required

The IRS stepped into the current tax season with a massive backlog of tax returns, leading the National Taxpayer Advocate to describe the agency as in "crisis." The IRS now plans to work through these backlogs of 7.2 million filings by hiring 5,000 workers this month- no tax experience required. 

On Thursday, the tax agency said it will hold job fairs on March 16th, 23rd and 30th at its processing centers in Austin, Texas; Kansas City, Missouri; and Ogden, Utah. The agency added that applicants will be offered jobs on the spot. IRS said, "Available positions include temporary, term and permanent jobs. Many are entry-level clerk and tax examiner positions in the Wage and Investment Division. No prior tax experience is required."

The IRS is attempting to make a major hiring push in a situation where the labor market is historically tight, with not enough workers to fill the nation's current 11,3 million job openings. However, it might be hard to lure workers with pay alone. Federal workers are guaranteed a minimum wage of at least $15 an hour. Annual pay rates being dangled by the IRS range from about $23,000 to up to about $47,000.  

Source: CBS News