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Career Exploration

Tax Preparers

Also called: Enrolled Agent, Tax Advisor, Tax Consultant, Tax Preparer

What they do:

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

On the job, you would:
  • Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
  • Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
  • Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
On the job, you'll need:

Business

  • customer service
  • accounting and economics

Arts and Humanities

  • English language

Engineering and Technology

  • computers and electronics

Safety and Government

  • law and government

Basic Skills

  • reading work related information
  • listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

Problem Solving

  • noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Verbal

  • listen and understand what people say
  • read and understand what is written

Math

  • add, subtract, multiply, or divide
  • choose the right type of math to solve a problem

Ideas and Logic

  • use rules to solve problems
  • make general rules or come up with answers from lots of detailed information

Conventional

People interested in this work like activities that include data, detail, and regular routines.

  • Attention to Detail
  • Integrity
  • Dependability
  • Self Control
  • Cooperation
  • Stress Tolerance

Accounting software

  • Intuit QuickBooks
  • Tax software

Tax preparation software

  • Intuit TurboTax
  • Petz Enterprises V-Tax

Financial analysis software

  • Sungard Relius
  • Sync Essentials Trade Accountant

Video courtesy of CareerOneStop.

Job Outlook

The job outlook for this position is Average.

New job opportunities are likely in the future.

Median Annual Salary: $48,250

Education

High school diploma/GED or bachelor's degree is usually needed.