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Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy

Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury
Responsibility
Management Scope

The domestic finance/tax policy fiscal 2015 budget was $77 million. Specific programs fall into four principal areas: tax policy; tax analysis; international tax affairs; and tax, trade and tariff policy. The Office of Tax Policy is one of 10 departmental policy offices in the Department of the Treasury. The subordinate structure includes four deputy assistant secretaries and approximately 100 employees. In addition, the Alcohol, Tobacco, Tax & Trade Bureau, with approximately 500 employees, reports to the office.3

Primary Responsibilities

• Assists the secretary in developing and implementing tax policies and programs
• Provides the official estimates of all government receipts for the president’s budget, fiscal policy decisions and Treasury cash management decisions
• Establishes policy criteria reflected in regulations and rulings, and guides preparation of them with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to implement and administer the Internal Revenue Code
• Negotiates tax treaties for the United States and represents the U.S. in meetings and work of multilateral organizations dealing with tax policy matters
• Provides economic and legal policy analysis for domestic and international tax policy decisions4
• Works closely with the IRS commissioner, the National Economic Council, the Office of Management and Budget, the vice president’s office, the Council of Economic Advisors and the Department of Homeland Security5

Strategic Goals and Priorities
[Depends on the policy priorities of the administration.]
Requirements

• Master of Business Administration; master’s in tax, accounting, finance or economics; or JD in taxation (preferred)
• In-depth knowledge and experience with tax policy to lead on the issue from his or her first day in office
• In-depth knowledge of tax law
• In-depth understanding of tax systems
• Understanding of administrative/regulatory processes
• Understanding of budget formulation
• Experience testifying before Congress (preferred)

Competencies

• Exceptional verbal and written communications skills, with ability to quickly craft messages on agency policy for media and public consumption
• Ability to bring about strategic change, establish an organizational vision and implement it in a continuously changing environment
• Understanding of current local, national and international policies and trends affecting the organization and shaping stakeholders’ views, and awareness of the organization’s impact on the external environment
• Ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations and make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems and calculating risks
• Ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically
• Ability to build coalitions internally and with other federal agencies, state and local governments, and nonprofit and private-sector organizations
• Ability to work across partisan lines to accomplish tax reform
• Comfort with the congressional negotiating process (helpful)6

Past Appointments
  • Mark J. Mazur (2012 to 2017): Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Analysis, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Department of the Treasury; Research, Analysis and Statistics of Income Director, Office of the Commissioner, Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury; Acting Administrator of the Energy Information Administration, Department of Energy7
  • Eric Solomon (2006 to 2009): Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Regulatory Affairs, Office of the Deputy Secretary, Department of the Treasury; Deputy Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy, Department of the Treasury; Senior Advisor for Policy, Department of the Treasury8
  • Pamela F. Olson (2002 to 2004): Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP9
AGENCY

Department of the Treasury

Mission: The Department of the Treasury is the executive agency responsible for promoting economic prosperity and ensuring the financial security of the United States.

COMPENSATION

Level IV $155,500 (5 U.S.C. § 5315)1

REPORTS TO

Secretary of the Treasury2

SENATE COMMITTEE

Finance

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Footnote
  1. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017 (Public Law 115-31, May 5, 2017), contains a provision that continues the freeze on the payable pay rates for certain senior political officials at 2013 levels during calendar year 2017.
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