How To Become An Income Tax Officer

One of the most competitive job roles in India is that of an income tax officer. Thousands of applicants compete in UPSC and SSC exams for the position. Every year, the number of taxpayers who file income tax returns rises. As a result, the projected number of openings for income tax officers has risen at a steady pace as well. We will help you understand how to become an income tax officer. The following are the areas candidates applying for the role should know about:

Eligibility Criteria for an Income Tax Officer

Physical Requirements:

Criteria	Male	Female
Physical Standard	Height – 157.5cm Chest – 81 cm	Height – 152cm Weight – < 48kg
Walking	1.6 km in 15 minutes	1 km in 20 minutes
Cycling	8 km in 30 minutes	3 km in 25 minutes

Educational Qualifications: 

Both men and women should have a graduation degree from a reputed university or institute in any course or discipline. This is the minimum standard.

Age: 

An individual must be above the age of 18 and not be over the age of 27 years. They should meet the age criteria around the 1^st of July of the examination year. For OBC and SC/ST applicants, the age requirements are reduced. A maximum of 27 years (3-13 years of relaxation for reserved categories). The age restriction has also been lowered, benefiting government officials and other defense personnel in India.

Applying For the Income Tax Officer Post Online

By following the given steps below, candidates apply for the job post online.

• Visit the official website of the income tax department at incometaxindia.gov.in.
• Fill in all the required information of the application form 
• Attach the necessary documents 
• Make sure all the information filled in is accurate. Click on the submit button.
• Print or screen a copy of the form for your own reference

Qualifying Exams

The exam that an income tax officer needs to clear for is the SSC CGL. This stands for the Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level Examination. There are two phases of the exam. Phase one is a screening round, and phase two is the test to calculate a candidate’s scores. The test is a written exam followed by a personal interview. The marks obtained in both are taken into consideration for the candidates’ evaluation.

Preliminary Exam

• The examination consists of two subject matters – General Intelligence and General Awareness & Arithmetic. 
• The scores of this test are not added to an individual’s final scores. Rather, they are a qualifying test for the final test. 
• Each subject consists of 100 questions, and the total marks of the exam are 100. The duration for both the papers

Main Exam

• The subjects included in the tests are General Studies (Reasoning and Awareness); Arithmetic; English Language and comprehension; Communication Skills and Writing

Subjects	Maximum Marks	Time
Language	100	2 hours 20 min
English comprehension	100	2 hours 20 min
Communication Skills and writing	200	2 hours 20 min
General Studies (Reasoning and Awareness)	200	3 hours
Arithmetic	200	4 hours

• Personal Interview/ Oral Test

The interview is conducted to test a candidate’s personality and mental acumen. 

Cut-off Marks For The Exam

The cut-off mark for Income tax officers is listed below. The total marks are 700.

• General – 75
• OBC – 75
• SC – 25
• ST – 50
• Ex-servicemen – 50
• OH – 50
• HH – 00

UPSC – Alternate Qualifying Exam 

An individual can choose the UPSC route and apply for the Civil Services Examination under the option of Indian Revenue Services. The age eligibility criteria for the exam is up to 32 years, and the candidates can attempt the exam 6 times. When a candidate clears all the exam rounds, they will be appointed as an Assistant Commissioner of Income-tax, a group A post.

Training an Income Tax Officer

After candidates qualify for the SSC CGL exam, they are put through an intensive preparation process at the Direct Taxes Regional Training Institute (DTRTI) in their allotted region. The training is held there for 12 weeks for all the selected candidates. The training consists of two phases where they are taught through real-life scenarios about various tax codes, forces of inquiry, and regulatory processes. 

Phase 1 – In the first few weeks of the training, the courses focus on the theoretical aspect of Direct Tax laws, Business laws, and Advanced Accounting and Finance. After the first phase, the first departmental exams are held.

Phase 2 – The focus of the second module is on providing field and practical knowledge. Interactions with diverse Attachments in foreign nations familiarise the applicants with international tax practices. Several guest speakers are invited to inspire the applicants and inform them of their work responsibilities.

Career Trajectory of an Income Tax Officer

After the training process, candidates are posted in different regions of the country. After gaining some field knowledge and experience, officers can aim to rise in the department’s ranks. An ideal career trajectory in the department would look as follows:

• Deputy Commissioner 
• Joint Commissioner
• Commissioner
• Principal Commissioner
• Chief Commissioner
• Principal Chief Commissioner

Officers who have qualified for the income tax officer post early have the advantage of a quick promotion to the above posts early in their career. Individuals from group A posts will be eligible for the promotion after completing a stipulated period of service as assistant commissioner and with a good performance report.

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