Office of Tax Analysis, U.S Dept. of Treasury - Junior Surrey Fellowship

The Office of Tax Analysis (OTA) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury is interested in interviewing exceptionally talented individuals who have recently completed or are about to complete Bachelor’’s degrees in economics, public policy, or other related fields. Junior Surrey Fellows will serve as Research Assistants for two years and provide economic research and administrative support to the senior economists in OTA. Junior Surrey Fellows will be selected on the basis of outstanding academic achievement and professional recommendations.

Functions of the Office
The Office of Tax Analysis advises the President, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Congress on the economic and revenue effects of current and proposed Federal tax policies. These tax policies directly and indirectly affect a wide range of nontax public policies, including health, pensions, welfare, labor, education, housing, financial institutions, the environment and energy. OTA staff provide tax policy advice in several forms: Administration tax proposals; reports to the President and to the Congress; Congressional testimony for top Treasury officials; background analyses, briefing papers, and revenue effects of tax proposals; estimates of receipts and tax expenditures for the President's Budget; and participation in the negotiation of bilateral tax treaties. Research Assistants will have the opportunity to support staff economists in several of these areas as well as gain first hand knowledge of how tax policy is researched, written, and enacted in the Federal Government.

OTA Organization
Five divisions: Business and International Taxation, Individual Taxation, Receipts Forecasting, Revenue Estimating, Economic Modeling and Computer Applications.

OTA is part of the Office of Tax Policy, which also includes legal staffs of the Tax Legislative Counsel, the International Tax Counsel, and the Benefits Tax Counsel. Office of Tax Policy staff, (about 50 economists in OTA, 40 attorneys, and support staff) is under the direction of the Assistant Secretary (Tax Policy).

Stimulating Environment
OTA is an exciting and rewarding place to work. Staff economists have frequent contact with senior Treasury officials. OTA has a distinguished history, counting among its alumni a Nobel laureate, a Chairman and members of the Council of Economic Advisers, several Presidents of the American Economic Association, and other renowned public finance economists. The current staff members have a distinguished record of publications in economics journals, presentations at professional conferences, working papers, etc. The reports and other documents produced by the Office are highly regarded and have significant influence in the development of Federal tax policy.

Exceptional Research Opportunities
Some examples of projects that Research Assistants have assisted staff economists with in the past include:

*Using tax return data to compare differences in state income taxes.
*Projecting the income distribution of top percentages of taxpayers.
*Analyzing data from various sources to determine  what effects various Administration tax policy changes will have on taxpayers.
*Building graphs to illustrate the complex Alternative Minimum Tax problem.
*Helping OTA economists research options for fundamental tax reform.

Office Support
OTA Research Assistants play an integral role in maintaining administrative support within the Office. Some of these duties include:

*Preparing briefing books for the Secretary of the Treasury, the White House, or Congress that provide explanations and analysis of current tax issues and proposals.
*Working with both economists and lawyers in developing the yearly Federal Budget.
*Processing transfers of Trust Fund receipts.
*Coordinating the process of recruiting highly qualified Ph.D candidates to work for OTA.

Interested students who are U.S. citizens should contact:

James B. Mackie III, Director
Office of Tax Analysis
U.S. Department of the Treasury
1500 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Room 4116
Washington, DC 20220
Phone: (202) 622-1326 FAX: (202) 622-2265
e-mail: james.mackie@treasury.gov

Receipt of materials by email and fax is preferred.