Careers > Tax Preparers

Tax Preparers

$48.25K Median Salary 9.8K Job Openings (Annual Projection) 1.6% Job Growth

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About This Career

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

Reported Job Titles

Certified Income Tax Preparer (CTP), Corporate Tax Preparer, Enrolled Agent, Income Tax Preparer, Tax Advisor, Tax Associate, Tax Consultant, Tax Preparer, Tax Professional, Tax Specialist

Career data shown for:

Skills You'll Need

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Abilities

Near Vision

Oral Comprehension

Written Comprehension

Deductive Reasoning

Oral Expression

Inductive Reasoning

Information Ordering

Mathematical Reasoning

Number Facility

Speech Clarity

Category Flexibility

Problem Sensitivity

Speech Recognition

Written Expression

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service

Economics and Accounting

English Language

Computers and Electronics

Law and Government

Mathematics

Administrative

Skills

Reading Comprehension

Active Listening

Critical Thinking

Speaking

Active Learning

Mathematics

Monitoring

Complex Problem Solving

Judgment and Decision Making

Service Orientation

Social Perceptiveness

Writing

Technology Skills

Accounting software

Tax preparation software

Financial analysis software

Spreadsheet software

Electronic mail software

Data base user interface and query software

Document management software

Office suite software

Word processing software

Human resources software

Internet browser software

Compliance software

Project management software

Calendar and scheduling software

Web page creation and editing software

Tools

Desktop calculator

Notebook computers

Desktop computers

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Inductive Reasoning: The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Information Ordering: The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
Mathematical Reasoning: The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
Number Facility: The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
Speech Clarity: The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Category Flexibility: The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
Problem Sensitivity: The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Knowledge

Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Economics and Accounting: Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking, and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Law and Government: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
Mathematics: Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
Administrative: Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Critical Thinking: Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Active Learning: Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
Mathematics: Using mathematics to solve problems.
Monitoring: Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Complex Problem Solving: Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Judgment and Decision Making: Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Social Perceptiveness: Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Technology Skills

Accounting software: Billing software; Bookkeeping software; Intuit QuickBooks; Sage 50 Accounting
Tax preparation software: ATX Total Tax Office; Creative Solutions UltraTax CS; Intuit TurboTax; Petz Enterprises V-Tax
Financial analysis software: Delphi Technology
Spreadsheet software: Microsoft Excel
Electronic mail software: IBM Notes; Microsoft Exchange; Microsoft Outlook
Data base user interface and query software: Blackboard software; Database software; Microsoft Access; Yardi software
Document management software: Adobe Systems Adobe Acrobat; Filing system software; Records management software; Transcription system software
Office suite software: Microsoft Office software
Word processing software: 3M Post-it App; Evernote; Google Docs; Microsoft Word
Human resources software: ADP Workforce Now
Internet browser software: Web browser software
Compliance software: ESS Compliance Suite; Mannus Compliance: EHS; Primatech AUDITWorks
Project management software: Mavenlink; Microsoft Project
Calendar and scheduling software: Appointment scheduling software
Web page creation and editing software: Facebook; Google Sites; LinkedIn; Social media sites

Tools

Desktop calculator: 10-key calculators
Notebook computers: Laptop computers
Desktop computers:

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