Customer Service Specialist - Business Tax Customer Service Specialist

Customer Service Specialist - Business Tax Customer Service Specialist

Salary

$25.09 - $37.20 Hourly

Location

City Hall, 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA

Job Type

Full-Time Permanent

Job Number

25M00000727

Department

Finance

Opening Date

07/29/2026

Closing Date

8/14/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Are you Richmond R.E.A.D.Y? Respect. Equity. Accountability. Diversity…YOU!!!

This is an EXCITING time to Join the City of Richmond! We are committed to nurturing talent, fostering growth opportunities, and building strong connections within our workforce. As we continue to make strides to becoming the employer of choice, we are thrilled about the below employee benefit enhancements:

• Virginia Retirement System (VRS)
• Language Incentive
• Referral Bonus
• Tuition Assistance Program

Description

The Business Customer Service Specialist provides advanced-level, front-line customer service and citizen assistance related to Richmond City's business tax programs, including Business Personal Property, Business License (BPOL), and local excise taxes such as Admissions, Transient Occupancy, and Meals. The position handles high-volume in-person, phone, and electronic inquiries; resolves general and escalated taxpayer issues; researches and adjusts account information; processes account updates; and manages customer service tickets through closure. Work includes interpreting and explaining complex tax codes and policies, processing billing and account adjustments, documenting all actions, and ensuring compliance with City policies and procedures. The role may assist supervisors with training other employees and serving as a lead worker when assigned.

This position is considered an Essential Personnel, which means that the incumbent is required to work when the City is closed due to public emergencies, critical or hazardous conditions or inclement weather.

Duties include but are not limited to

Customer Service & Citizen Assistance

• Respond to in-person, phone, and electronic inquiries related to business taxes, billing, and account status.
• Provide clear, professional explanations of complex tax codes, policies, and procedures to taxpayers and business owners.
• Manage customer service tickets from initiation through resolution, ensuring timely and accurate follow-up.
• Resolve general and escalated taxpayer issues across all business tax types.
• Address customer complaints and questions, documenting outcomes and providing appropriate next steps.
• Assist customers with completing required forms, applications, and documentation.

Account Research, Maintenance, & Adjustments

• Research and correct account errors, discrepancies, and system-identified issues.
• Review, analyze, and adjust accounts related to Business Personal Property, BPOL, and excise tax filings.
• Process account changes, including updates to taxpayer information and business status.
• Calculate and process refunds, credits, and adjustments in accordance with City policies.
• Identify and escalate complex cases requiring supervisor or specialist review.

Communication, Documentation, & Correspondence

• Prepare written correspondence including notices, requests for information, and follow-up communications.
• Document all customer interactions, research findings, and account actions in the City's systems.
• Maintain organized records and perform clerical tasks such as filing, mail sorting, and document management.
• Ensure communication is consistent, professional, and aligned with departmental expectations.

Collaboration, Training, & Lead Worker Support

• Assist supervisors with training new employees on tax processes, systems, and customer service protocols.
• Serve as a lead worker when assigned, providing guidance and support to team members.
• Collaborate with other divisions to resolve cross-departmental issues affecting taxpayer accounts.
• Support continuous improvement by identifying process gaps, system issues, or recurring taxpayer challenges.

Qualifications, Special Certifications and Licenses

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge (some combination of the following):

• Best practices related to customer service policies and procedures
• Real estate/tax relief
• Municipal governments
• CIS billing system
• City of Richmond Assessors File
• Familiarity using standard office equipment

Skills (some combination of the following):

• Proficiency at Microsoft Office Suite
• Data entry
• Diplomacy
• Problem-solving
• Account management
• Oral and written communication
• Interpersonal communication
• Basic mathematics
• Customer service
• Researching
• Interacting with potentially irate or irrational customers

Abilities (some combination of the following):

• Multi-task
• Listen attentively
• Analyze information
• Work with diverse populations
• Work in a fast paced environment
• Analyze data to resolve customer issues or concerns

MINIMUM TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:

• High School Diploma or GED
• Three years of customer service, reconciliation and adjustment experience
• An equivalent combination of training and experience (as approved by the department) may be used to meet the minimum qualifications of the classification

LICENSING, CERTIFCATIONS, and OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• None required

Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS: Working conditions may include exposure to travel to other locations within the City of Richmond as well as outside of the City of Richmond; exposure to hazardous physical conditions such as mechanical parts, electrical currents, vibrations, etc.; atmospheric conditions such as fumes, odors, dusts, gases, and poor ventilation; inadequate lighting; intense noise; and environmental hazards such as disruptive people, imminent danger, and a threatening environment.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Due to the nature of work assignments, incumbents must be able to perform detailed work on multiple, concurrent tasks, with frequent interruptions and under time constraint. While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk, see, hear, finger (pick, pinch, type, or otherwise work primarily with fingers), and use substantial repetitive motions of the wrists, hands and fingers. The employee is occasionally required to stoop, kneel, crouch, walk and reach extending hands and arms in any direction. In terms of the physical strength to perform the essential duties, this classification is considered to be sedentary, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects.

• Internal use: HR Generalist to review.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The City of Richmond provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

The City of Richmond is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, the City of Richmond will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided with reasonable accommodations. If you require reasonable accommodations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to participate in the job application and/or the interview process, please contact Veronica Kenner, by email at HR-ADA@rva.gov.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

The City of Richmond Values Veterans. We are an official V3 Certified Company.

The City of Richmond is a proud partner with the US Army Partnership for Your Success PaYS Program.

With over 4,000 employees, the City of Richmond is an "Employer of Choice" among cities throughout the nation. The City strives to hire and retain employees who bring dedication and talent to the workforce. Offering a competitive, cost effective, and quality benefits package is one element of an "Employer of Choice".

The City offers a full range of benefit programs from initial hire through retirement. Please visit our Web site for details.

01

10-point compensable veteran. You must have an existing compensable service-connected disability of 10 percent or more. Other 10-point veteran include disabled veteran or a veteran who was awarded the Purple Heart for wound or injuries received in action, veterans widow or widower who has not remarried, wife or husband of a veteran who has a service-connected disability, widowed, divorced or separated mother of an ex-service son or daughter who died in action, or who is totally and permanently disabled. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

02

5-point veterans must have been discharged under honorable conditions and had one of the following: Active duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, in a war, or during the period 4/28/52-7/1/55 or active duty for more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 2/1/55 and 10/14/76 or active duty during the Gulf War sometime between 8/2/90 - 1/2/92 or active duty in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized or active duty for which more than 180 consecutive days other than for training, any part of which occurred during the period beginning 9/11/2001 and ending on the date prescribed by the Presidential proclamation or by the law as the last date of operation Iraqi Freedom. Do any of these apply?

• Yes
• No

03

Are you a current City of Richmond employee?

• Yes
• No

04

Employees in this job classification are designated ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL and must be available to report to work during disasters, inclement weather, and other declared emergencies. Are you available and willing to work under these conditions?

• Yes
• No

05

Which answer best describes your highest level of education?

• High School Diploma/GED
• Some college
• Associates Degree in Business, Accounting, or related field
• Bachelors Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or related field
• Masters/Advanced Degree
• None of the above

06

Which best describes your years of experience in business tax administration, revenue operations, or a related government finance function?

• Less than one year of experience
• One to three years of experience
• Three to five years of experience
• More than five years of experience

07

Which best describes your experience managing escalated taxpayer or customer inquiries in a tax or government finance environment?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - assisted with routine inquiries under direct supervision
• Intermediate experience - independently resolved escalated taxpayer or customer issues
• Advanced experience - regularly triaged and resolved complex escalated matters and documented outcomes

08

Select all of the experiences below that you have related to business tax administration. (Check all that apply)

• Reviewing, verifying, and processing new business applications or registrations
• Processing business license renewals and account updates
• Performing compliance checks to confirm business registration, licensing, or tax filing status
• Analyzing accounts and processing corrections or adjustments in a business tax or billing system
• Monitoring required filings and reconciling accounts for business taxes (e.g., BPP, BPOL, Admissions, Meals, Transient Occupancy)
• None of the above

09

Which best describes your experience interacting with business owners, CPAs, attorneys, or other third-party representatives to resolve tax issues or secure documentation?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - assisted with basic communications under direct supervision
• ? Intermediate experience - independently communicated with business owners or representatives to resolve routine issues
• Advanced experience - regularly engaged with business owners and third-party representatives to resolve complex tax matters and coordinate documentation

10

Which best describes your knowledge of City ordinances, State statutes, or regulations governing business taxes or related local excise taxes?

• No knowledge
• Basic knowledge - general awareness of business tax laws and procedures
• Intermediate knowledge - applied relevant statutes or ordinances in a work setting
• Advanced knowledge - regularly interpreted and applied City/State business tax law, including advising tax payers or staff

11

Which best describes your experience performing data quality checks, reconciling account discrepancies, and maintaining accurate audit trails in a tax or billing system?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - performed basic data entry or account lookups
• Intermediate experience - independently identified and resolved data discrepancies or reconciliation issues
• Advanced experience - led data quality reviews and ensured system accuracy and compliance with records management requirements

12

Which best describes your experience communicating complex business tax information to non-tax experts?

• No experience
• Beginner experience - occasionally communicates complex information to non-tax experts online or over the phone
• Intermediate experience - regularly com communicates complex information to non-tax experts online or over the phone,
• Advanced experience - regularly triaged and resolved complex escalated matters regarding business tax information

13

Based on the City of Richmond Department of Human Resources MS Proficiency Scale, immediately described below, what is your level of proficiency using Microsoft Excel? Beginner - At this level, an individual is able to enter and correct data, modify a workbook, format a worksheet, and use printing functions. Intermediate - At this level, an individual understands the concepts of databases and is able to work with charts and to use the list management capabilities of Excel. Advanced - At this level, an individual is automate some operations, manage Macro commands, and create MS Excel applications.

• Beginner experience
• Intermediate experience
• Advanced experience
• No experience

14

This role operates in an environment with frequent process changes, new technology implementations, and ongoing improvement initiatives. Please describe your comfort level working in a setting where procedures, systems, and expectations may evolve regularly.

Required Question

Employer City of Richmond

Address 900 East Broad Street

Suite

Richmond, Virginia, 23219

Phone (804) 646-5660

804-646-5660

Website https://www.rva.gov/