Darrell
Small Business/Self Employed Contact Representative

I'm currently employed with the Internal Revenue Service, specifically in the ACS, which is Automated Collection Systems. I am a contact collections representative, also known as a CR. And our job title is to educate and assist taxpayers with returns, 1040s, 941s, 940s, specific tax returns. We're also responsible for issuing and releasing levies and liens. Your job basically is working from the telephone. Taxpayers call in -- they ask information, and we have the tools necessary to assist them and guide them in the right direction and lead them where they need to go to keep their taxes in compliance. So that's basically what our job duty is, and that's what we do on a daily basis. Also, if a taxpayer calls in and they have a levy or a lien, we can assist them with that effort, as well.

When I began my career, I started out as a GS-5. I've now advanced to a GS-8, and as long as you are performing and your job is being 
taken care of, then you will be able to further your career through your evaluations and your monitorings of your performance. And it gives me extra motivation to know that I have the Internal Revenue Service, they have these specific programs that assist individuals with disabilities.

Someone may look at a visually impaired person and say they don't think the job could be done. But the Internal Revenue Service, not only will they train you, but they'll provide you with that specific equipment that you need to do your job, no matter what it is.

I went to school in Detroit at Wayne County Community College. I received an associate's of computer science. And I also went to Arkansas -- there's a program that the Internal Revenue Service sponsors for visually impaired. It's located in Little Rock, Arkansas, at Arkansas. It's called Lions World Services for the Blind. And it's a training program that, if you're qualified, you'll be able to be selected for a position with the Internal Revenue Service.

If there is a taxpayer -- which we get quite a few, they call in angered because they have levies or liens on their wages or bank account, or a lien on their Social Security -- and that would anger an individual, so what we try to do is, first of all, we try to calm them down and let them know that we're here to work with them and assist them, and that if we can work together, possibly something can be done and worked out with their situation so that they can have some relief.