Staff Attorney in the Taxpayer Support Clinic

Position: Staff Attorney in the Taxpayer Support Clinic at PLA

Full-Time Position

Anticipated Start date: July 15, 2023

Hiring Timeframe: Rolling, final application deadline of July 15, 2023

Application requirements: Cover letter, resume, references and legal writing sample

BACKGROUND:

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (“PLA”) is the federally funded civil legal aid provider for Philadelphia’s indigent community. We provide high-volume, high-quality and innovative legal representation in administrative and court proceedings, including all levels of state and federal courts. We also provide community education, advice, referral, and support of pro se representation. Our focus is on legal matters addressing basic human needs: family safety, health, income maintenance, and home preservation.

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) seeks to immediately hire a full-time Staff Attorney to work with low income taxpayers in Philadelphia to resolve federal income tax disputes with the IRS.

The Taxpayer Support Clinic (TSC) https://philalegal.org/taxpayer-support-clinic at Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is one of many Low Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC) throughout the United States. LITCs are funded in part by the IRS’s Taxpayer Advocate Service (https://www.taxpayeradvocate.irs.gov/about-us/low-income-taxpayer-clini…) to help taxpayers avail themselves of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights and obtain refunds to which they are entitled, avoid having to pay taxes that are incorrectly high and/or that they cannot currently afford to pay, and to otherwise resolve disputes with the IRS.

LITCs generally do not engage in routine annual tax return preparation (we refer clients to Philadelphia’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) partners), but the preparation of original and amended returns are at times necessary to resolve controversies with the IRS. The TSC does not currently use tax preparation software, but prepares tax returns directly on the relevant IRS forms (e.g., Form 1040). LITCs also seek to educate the community, including the English as a second language community, about tax-related rights and responsibilities.

The TSC primarily serves residents of Philadelphia, but in conjunction with the Legal Services Corporation’s Agricultural Worker Grant, the TSC may provide tax education and tax controversy assistance to farmworkers throughout the state of Pennsylvania. Additionally, the TSC may provide assistance to taxpayers who have income tax disputes with the State of Pennsylvania and the City of Philadelphia.

QUALIFICATIONS:

· Law degree and admission to a PA Bar, or a willingness to take the PA bar exam (when available). Candidates of all levels will be considered, but prior LITC experience highly valued.

· Dedication to working with low-income clients;

· Patience and persistence in interpersonal communications and case work, and willingness to work with clients who are experiencing acute financial and emotional distress;

· Attention to detail and the ability to read and re-read consecutive pages of fine print;

· Excellent writing skills and the ability to present complex concepts in simple, clear language;

· Strong organizational, deadline prioritization, and time management skills;

· Fluency in a written and spoken language in addition to English (e.g., Spanish, Mandarin, Arabic, French, etc.) is desired but not necessary;

· Technological/coding aptitude and creativity is welcome.

This position is ideal for someone with an interest in administrative law and how tax policy and the administration of the IRS, one of the largest federal bureaucracies, affect people living in or near poverty. The Staff Attorney will work directly under the supervision of the TSC’s Clinic Supervising Attorney/Clinic Director.

The Staff Attorney’s duties will include:

· assisting clients with information gathering, organization of information and financial documents;

· researching the Internal Revenue Code, Internal Revenue Manual, IRS publications & regulations, and relevant case law;

· preparation of tax returns, amended returns, or other IRS forms to resolve controversies;

· Filing Petitions in the United States Tax Court and refund suits in the U.S. District Court

· advocating on behalf of clients with the IRS, State, and City;

· developing content for the TSC’s webpage, social media feed, and other educational materials;

· networking with relevant agencies and organizations throughout Philadelphia to expand awareness of and access to the TSC;

· conducting community education presentations and other outreach events;

· working on grant opportunities, ensuring compliance with existing LSC and LITC grants, and grant reporting; and

· other duties as may be required from time to time, including conducting initial client eligibility screenings and researching and referring clients to free tax preparation sites;

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

Salary is commensurate with years of experience based on union scale. Full health coverage for employees and their dependents, 403 b retirement plan with employer contribution. Generous holiday and leave benefits.

APPLICATION PROCESS:

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is an equal-opportunity employer. PLA values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness, and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. PLA invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice. Interested applicants should email a cover letter and resume, preferably in one PDF document, to: work@philalegal.org.

Application deadline is July 15, 2023. However, the position will be filled as soon as an appropriate candidate is identified.