Not Just an Agent, A Special Agent

By Kyle Weiser

April’s Accounting Club member meeting featured a speaker from a different career path that many aspiring accountants don’t think about too often. This month, we had the pleasure of listening to Alisha Campbell, who is an IRS special agent. Campbell studied at Drury University and eventually received an internship from the IRS, where she has been working ever since. Campbell preaches that if staying behind a desk all day is not what you want to do as an accountant, looking into white-collar criminal investigation may be a route that you want to take.

Criminal investigation is an exotic alternative compared to traditional accounting jobs, and usually requires fewer certifications. Campbell does not have a CPA, CMA, or CFE license; however, she did note that most jobs in the industry are highly competitive and those licenses would look better to employers. The main point here is that it’s not necessary if you plan to go into this field, which is good news for some accounting majors. The CPA is an end goal for many in college, but some would rather just get their degree and start their careers. Working with the IRS or FBI are good ways to get started without necessarily needing any special certifications.

Campbell also discussed ethics issues surrounding the accounting world, including tax fraud. She noted that as professionals, we’re all smart enough to recognize when something like a tax return is wrong, so it is our duty to make sure things get done the correct way. Campbell also stressed that what you do as an individual represents the entire agency or company you may work for.

The IRS employs over 2,000 special agents, with six just in Springfield. Campbell mostly works with Title 26 tax cases, which are: tax evasion, employment tax evasion, failure to file, filing a false fraud, aiding in filing a false return, and corrupt endeavor to impede. Most cases come from local law enforcement, the DEA, and the Department of Homeland Security. White-collar crime is a unique type of criminal case because there is an over 90% conviction rate since most of the criminal activity can be traced back to paper records. Campbell’s job duties while working with the IRS have included reviewing bank records, conducting witness interviews, working with other law enforcement agencies, surveillance, undercover operations, and searches and seizures. Working for the IRS is just another example of how far you can stretch your accounting degree if you choose to put in the effort. There are many different options for career paths after college, and the IRS is an interesting and unique way to put your accounting knowledge to use.