Photo: U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jennifer R. Hudson (Public domain)
Job description
Interview clients about income, expenses, and life changes that affect their taxes, then apply the appropriate deductions and credits to minimize what they owe while staying within tax law. Work is heavily concentrated around the January-April filing season, when preparers often handle a high volume of returns under tight deadlines, with a much lighter workload the rest of the year. Many preparers work seasonally for a chain tax service or accounting firm, while more experienced preparers build a year-round client base handling amended returns, estimated payments, and small business bookkeeping.
Pros
- Low barrier to entry, vocational training or an associate's degree is enough
- Faster than average projected job growth (4.5%) over the next decade
- Work is concentrated around tax season, allowing lighter hours the rest of the year
Cons
- Pay tops out under $100k, a modest ceiling compared to other financial roles
- Intense, deadline-driven crunch during the January-April filing season
- Precision is essential, since small errors can cost clients money or trigger an audit
A typical day
February mornings start with a full waiting room: first up is a young family with two W-2s and a new baby, walked through credits they didn't know existed. Each interview is detective work -- did anyone go to school, change jobs, drive for a rideshare app -- because the right questions find the honest refund. Midday brings a gig worker's shoebox of receipts, sorted into deductible and not while explaining quarterly payments for next year. The evening rush runs to 8pm, every return reviewed twice and e-filed, with the client leaving able to explain their own refund for once.
Tasks at the job
- 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.
- Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
- Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
- Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
The pace is often fast, with real time pressure to meet deadlines, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. Precision and accuracy are essential to the work.
Education necessary or common
Vocational training, apprenticeship, or associate's degree
Licenses & certifications
- IRS PTIN (required to prepare for pay)
- Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP)
- Enrolled Agent (EA)
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- Accounting or business math -- the trade's core mechanics
- Algebra II -- accuracy at speed with numbers
- English -- explaining rules to nervous people simply
- Computer applications -- tax software fluency
- Spanish or another community language -- widens who you can serve
Clubs, activities & competitions
- VITA volunteer tax prep -- the IRS-sponsored program trains volunteers, some sites take 16+
- FBLA accounting events
- Club treasurer duties
- A customer-service job during busy seasons
First steps you can take now
- Take the IRS's free VITA/Link & Learn certification course online
- Prepare a practice return with free-file software and a sample scenario
- Ask a local tax office about seasonal front-desk or trainee roles
- Learn the difference between a credit and a deduction cold
