What is Indian Revenue Service?

Indian Revenue Service

Indian Revenue Service (IRS) is the largest Group A Central Service amongst the organised civil services in the Government of India. IRS serves the nation through discharging one of the essential sovereign functions, i.e. collection of revenue for development, security, and governance. An IRS officer starts in Group A as Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax.

The Union Public Service Commission conducts the exam for this post. IRS plays a vital role in the collection of Direct Taxes in India, which form a significant part of the total tax revenue in the country. IRS officers administer the Direct Taxes laws through the Income Tax Department, whose logo is 'Kosh mulo dandah'.

One of the most important functions of the IRS is detecting and curbing black money in the country. On joining the service, IRS officers are trained mainly at the National Academy of Direct Taxes, located in Nagpur, one of the premier National Academies of the Government of India. There are various mid-career training programmes for IRS officers with a view to keep them abreast of the latest developments in the areas of governance, particularly taxation, finance and management.