What is the full form of IRS


IRS: Indian Revenue Service

IRS Full Form

IRS stands for Indian Revenue Service (IRS) which was established in 1953. It is the administrative Group A revenue service or one of the Central Civil Services (Group A services) of the Govt. of India responsible for the administration and collection of the various direct and indirect taxes that are acquired by the Government. IRS functions under the Department of Revenue in the Union Ministry of Finance. It is an important service directly related to the revenue section of the Govt. of India.

IRS Serves the nation through the collection of revenue for the development, security, and governance. It plays a major role in the collection of direct taxes like income tax & wealth tax in India, which make a significant contribution to the total tax revenue in the country.

IRS officers administer the Direct Taxes Laws through the Income Tax Department (ITD). They play an important role in exposing scams in the country. They are responsible for compilation, administration, and policy formation of direct and indirect tax, so they are called as Tax administrators of India and also known as the guardians of the financial borders of the country. An income tax office can be found in almost every district of India.

IRS has two branches: IRS (Income Tax) and IRS (Customs and Central Excise).

These two branches are controlled by two separate statutory bodies: Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), and Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) respectively. The IRS officers are also appointed to law enforcement and intelligence organizations such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), and Intelligence Bureau (IB).

Eligibility for the Indian Revenue Service Exam:

The eligibility criteria for the IRS is almost the same as it is for other Group A services. A candidate who wants to become an IRS officer is required to clear the Civil Services Examination conducted by Union Public Service Commission.

A candidate who fulfills the following eligibility criteria is eligible for this exam.

  • Must be a citizen of India
  • Must have a graduate degree from a Central, State or Deemed University
  • A correspondence degree recognized by the Govt. of India.
  • A qualification recognized by the Govt. of India equivalent to any of the above.

The following candidates are also eligible for the IRS exam. However, they are required to submit the eligibility proof at the time of the examination.

  • Who have passed the final exam of the MBBS degree but have not completed their internship
  • Who have passed the final exam of Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), ICSI and ICWAI
  • Who have a degree from a foreign university recognized by Association of Indian Universities (AIU)

An IRS officer starts with the designation of Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax. The Group B gazetted Income tax officers can also become IRS through promotion. The rules of Indian Revenue Service Recruitment regulate the selection and career prospects of an IRS officer.

Age Limit:

The minimum age limit for a candidate is 21 years, and the maximum age limit is 32 years for general category candidates. However, the age limit for IRS also depends on the caste reservation:

The upper age limit based on caste reservation:

  • For general category up to 32 years
  • For OBC up to 35 years
  • For SC/ST up to 37 years

No. of attempts:

  • 6 attempts for General Category
  • 9 attempts for OBC candidates
  • No limit for SC or ST candidates

The upper age limit can be more for certain candidates depending on certain factors such as candidates from Jammu and Kashmir State of India and physically disabled candidates.


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