Being a tax preparer implies having to interview different persons regarding their taxable income and other deductions and expenses they might incur. A person with this job description must advise people on financial matters. Our tax preparer job description will provide all the information needed regarding the particularities of the job, as well as list the set of skills someone needs to have in order to get hired as a tax preparer.

What Does a Tax Preparer Professional Do?

The tax preparer job description clearly defines a tax preparer’s attributions. The tax preparer usually deals with setting appointments, tax returns, client inquiries, promoting the company’s products and services and many more. Any tax preparer will have to verify the accuracy of the records that he or she is handling. They will also have to maintain the confidentiality of their clients’ personal information.

Tax Preparer Job Description for Resume – Responsibilities

  • Provide tax planning for clients.
  • File tax documents and fill out different reports and logs.
  • Handle incoming calls from clients and solve their problems in a professional manner.
  • Follow the company’s procedures and maintain the confidentiality of documents and clients’ personal information.
  • Promote products and services offered by the company when the opportunity arises.
  • Handle administrative as well as clerical duties.
  • Search for ingenious ways to expand the company’s client base.
  • Answer any tax-related questions that clients or possible clients might have.
  • Set up appointments with clients to help them with tax preparation.
  • Interview clients to find out more information about the tax problems they are dealing with.
  • Gather financial information using different resources while adhering to the company’s guidelines and protocol.
  • Use the typical steps mentioned in the tax preparer job description of the company to keep clients’ taxes to a minimum level.

Tax Preparer Job Essential Skills

Communication Skills. The tax preparer needs to possess customer service and high communication, both verbal and written skills. This professional also has to be able to relate to people, to explain properly and also be persuasive and sales oriented.

Field Knowledge Skills. One of the main responsibilities of a tax preparer is to calculate the tax return for individuals and small businesses. This employee must have good numerical skills and the capacity to estimate different costs that the clients might incur. They must also be able to follow tax instructions and other legal requirements associated with the job, as well as handle allowances and deductible expenses.

Computer Skills. The job implies the ability to operate different software programs in order to add information about clients. An in-depth knowledge of Excel and Word Office Pack is a plus since tax preparers use these programs on a regular basis.

Management Skills. Any tax preparer job description includes filing tax documents and prioritizing to meet a certain deadline and to manage time more efficiently. The capacity to prioritize and handle time and financial records are very important. Moreover, this professional must also assist and monitor newly hired staff, as well as pay attention to details.

How to Become a Tax Preparer Professional

When getting the tax preparer job some companies might ask for previous work experience while others won’t, requirements differ a bit depending on the company’s policies. Regardless of that, any person wanting the tax preparer job must definitely possess time management and customer service skills, as well as great communication skills.

Education & Training Requirements

Most companies require a high school diploma or an equivalent. However, for who really wants their chances of getting this job to increase they need to have a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance or Banking. Moreover, as a tax preparer, they will undergo different trainings in order to perfect their skills. Most employers ask for an IRS registration, so be prepared to take several tests before getting hired.

The education requirements are more important than having worked as a tax preparer in the past. So, before deciding to apply for a position in this field, make sure you meet the requirements above. An individual occupying this position should also keep up to date with the news in this field in order to offer high-quality services to their clients.

Work Experience

Although it is a competitive job position, it isn’t hard to get hired as a tax preparer. All one needs to do is to make sure that they match the job’s requirements and skills. However, previous job experience definitely counts, even if it’s not mandatory.

What would be most relevance is previous customer service experience since this professional will be dealing with plenty of requests and complaints. As well as taking calls from clients and answering various questions or coming up with pertinent solutions to the problems that clients usually face in this sector.

Work Schedules

The tax preparer job description entails a generally flexible schedule. People having this job can work from home, sometimes during hours outside the 9-to-5 workday, weekends or evenings. For some seasonal tax workers, this is like a second shift during tax season, so they might work 12 to 14 hours.

The first three months of the year are the busiest since at that time tax service firms are usually open 7 days a week and 12 hours a day. Workweeks can range from as little as 12 hours to 40 or 50 or more since tax firms employees need to work evenings and weekends as well. The work is demanding, requires heavy concentration and long hours working at a computer desk.

Career Prospects

The tax preparer job description allows room for promotions. A tax preparer can be promoted to a tax advisor, consultant, specialist, expert, associate, evaluator or manager depending on one’s proven track record, extraordinary work achievements, and experience. Also, the tax preparer can choose to climb up the clerical, administrative or managerial ladder depending on his or her skills. For more info, you can also look at the financial analyst or even credit and collection analyst job description.

The median salary for a tax preparer is of $12.33 per hour in the U.S., which amounts to about $39,044 per year. Most companies offer bonuses and commissions depending on the profits, as well. The biggest factor to influence the salary is determined by location, significant variations occur based on where the tax preparer works. Also, previous work experience makes the median salary sum fluctuate as well.

Conclusion

Even though the tax preparer job might be very demanding in tax season, since professionals need to expect meeting tight deadlines and solve difficult cases, the flexible schedule, the job outlook, and salary all make this job quite satisfactory. We are sure our tax preparer job description was very useful to you especially the information about the responsibilities, skills, and qualifications associated with this profession.