Why IRS? Giving the interview board an answer

I have been so so so irregular with my blogging that the last few blog posts are full of profuse laments and apologies to my faithful readers. I won't repeat same and shall declare at this moment, shading all masks of hypocrisy, that I have ceased to be a 'blogger'. Occasional posts will no doubt come.

I am writing this post because I have been getting many queries about IRS as a service and what to tell the interview board if one takes up IRS as first option. Its natural that IRS is fast becoming popular as a second choice among aspirants and few even opt for it as first choice. This probably is because its a balanced service: metro postings, interesting work culture in investigation wing, hardcore babugiri in commissionerate, heavy power, and exposure to all kinds of business activities.

Last year when I was in commissionerate I had such tremendous exposure that I could get 3-4 PhDs in business studies for my assessment orders. Beyond this, there is the charm of going after the who-is-who of your state. While commissionerate was about administration over all corporate and business houses, investigation directorate is about policing. Investigation wing is the specialised wing that conducts Income Tax search and seizures (popularly called raids). The kind of confidence one gets after working here is tremendous and unparalleled.

On top of this new challenges have opened up in the form of International taxation and transfer pricing (those of my batchmates posted here keep telling me about the frequent international training sessions they go for) which may soon result in international tours for the purpose of investigating money laundering. There are 14 posts in various embassies all over the world for IRS officers.

So coming to the point of filling it up as a first option, now this is tricky. Income Tax department, unfortunately, has a bad name because of few black sheep. Such sheep are in every organisation but given the vastness of IT department, they get highlighted frequently. So when you fill IRS as first option, the board may make a pre-judgment that:

1. You are opting for it for ulterior motives OR

2. You do not want to put in 8-9 years in rural India (which is usually the case in IAS/IPS) and soon the debate turns into an India Vs Bharat

Don't worry. You have on your side one important factor: that you know what you want. Most people who want to come into services do not know what they want; hence they fill up options in a traditional way. Those who don't want to go abroad fill up IFS last. Those who dont think they are not meant for IPS also fill it up last. But you are one of the few who have filled IRS as first option.

Now you need to know: why IRS? You have to show your fascination for financial crimes, money laundering, and black money. As a regulator you will be exposed to a variety of business processes... business houses are bound to disclose to you, if you so demand, such confidential facts which they would not to any other authority. As an investigator, you get to make very high level enquiries - both discreet and open - into large and sensitive business and political groups. As a quasi-judicial authority, you arbitrate over issues pertaining to Income Tax Act, Benami Transactions Act, and Money Laundering Act. As a court of law you come just below the tribunal and high court in judicial hierarchy.

Further you have to be clear about the greater purpose you are solving. By taxing people and corporates you are leading to macro-economic stabilisation. You are the first and last line of defence of India's socialistic ideals. It is your responsibility not only to get government its dues but also contain capitalistic tendencies. In this age of free markets and facilitation of large corporates, it is all the more important to have a strong regulator responsible for circulation of money through the hierarchy.

I think this basic explanation will impress the board of your clarity and the reason for your choosing the service as first preference. I again repeat what I have already repeated time and again: the interview board asks you 'why?' about everything you have mentioned in your profile because they want to know whether you have clarity. Clarity shows synthesis of personality.