File clerks at the IRS help tax agents and auditors by organizing and filing the taxes, records and documents that the IRS processes every year. The IRS hires file clerks as full-time, part-time and seasonal workers to work for no more than one year at a time. Even so, file clerks are eligible for benefits.
File Clerk Careers
The IRS hires file clerks to fill seasonal and temporary positions that last for no more than one year. The IRS furloughs file clerks between seasons, or periods when IRS offices are busiest. During your furlough, the IRS considers you to be an employee though it doesn't pay you. The IRS recalls, or hires back, its file clerks when the need is again there. Permanent file clerks, in this case, would be those who return to the IRS year after year. While a career that finds you out of work for a period of time each year seems a bit unorthodox, most full-time, open-ended positions with the IRS require you to have previous experience with it or another federal agency. Working for one or two seasons as a file clerk may give you the experience you need to find a permanent job at the IRS.
Requirements
To work at the IRS, you must be a U.S. citizen and pass background, tax and fingerprint checks. The IRS requires its seasonal and part-time file clerks to have at least six months applicable experience. While you don’t need more than a high school diploma to become a file clerk, you must have completed at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours toward an associate or bachelor’s degree. The hour requirement tends to equal to at least two years of post-secondary education.
Benefits
The IRS pays its employees, even those hired as part-time or seasonal, during a training period and also offers competitive salaries. A full-time file clerk working out of an Austin, Texas, location, for instance, can expect to earn between $27,990 and $36,384 per year. Other benefits you may enjoy while working as a file clerk include access to an on-site cafeteria, fitness center and child-care facility. You may also be eligible for membership in a credit union and subsidized commuting expenses.
Schedule and Working Conditions
The IRS employs file clerks in 13 cities across America and in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. The IRS expects its part-time file clerks to work between 16 and 32 hours every week. Season file clerks may work during specific periods of time that last for no longer than 12 months. The hours you work will depend on the location where you work. You can expect to stand for long periods of time and lift and carry files or boxes of files that can weigh up to 50 pounds.
References
Writer Bio
William Henderson has been writing for newspapers, magazines and journals for more than 15 years. He served as editor of the "New England Blade" and is a former contributor to "The Advocate." His work has also appeared on The Good Men Project, Life By Me and The Huffington Post.