What is the Indian Revenue Service (IRS)?

Indian Revenue Service (IRS) is a Group A civil service under India's Ministry of Finance, tasked with collecting and administering direct (income tax) and indirect taxes (GST, customs).​

It splits into two branches:

• IRS (Income Tax): Handles assessments, raids on tax evaders, black money probes, policy formulation under CBDT.

• IRS (Customs & Indirect Taxes): Manages GST enforcement, smuggling busts, border security under CBIC.

With ~9,775 officers recruited via UPSC CSE (ranks ~240-500), IRS officers raid billionaires, track crypto scams, shape Budget policies, and fuel India's economy—far from "desk jobs," it's financial law enforcement with real power.