Tax Preparers

Bookmark Print History Journal
x

Journal

    • Please sign in to view journal entries
x

Your Employment History in this Occupation

Please sign in to view Employment History
x
Rating
x

Please fill out the fields below to e-mail someone a link to this page

x
Please sign in to bookmark occupations

This occupation is part of the Business and Financial Operations cluster

About the Job

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

It is also Called

  • Accountant
  • Bookkeeper
  • Certified Income Tax Preparer (CTP)
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
  • Corporate Tax Preparer
  • Income Tax Advisor
  • Income Tax Consultant
  • Income Tax Expert
  • Income Tax Preparer
  • Licensed Tax Consultant

What They Do

  • Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
  • Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
  • Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
  • 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.
  • Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
  • Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
  • Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required.
  • Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.

Interests

People who work in this occupation generally have the interest code: CE.

This means people who work in this occupation generally have Conventional interests, but also prefer Enterprising environments.

Work Values

People who work in this occupation generally prize Relationships, but also value Support and Independence in their jobs.

Things They Need to Know

  • Economics and Accounting - Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
  • 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.
  • Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
  • Computers and Electronics - Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
  • Clerical - Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Things They Need to Be Able to Do

  • 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.
  • Social Perceptiveness - Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
  • Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
  • Mathematics - Using mathematics to solve problems.

Education Required

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Wages

In 2012, the average annual wage in California was $46,810 with most people making between $21,320 and $83,070

Outlook

0.49%
avg. annual growth

During 2010, this occupation employed approximately 10,200 people in California. It is projected that there will be 10,600 employed in 2020.

This occupation will have about 50 openings due to growth and about 230 replacement openings for approximately 280 total annual openings.

Common College Majors

Industries that Employ this Occupation

Similar Occupations


People who viewed this occupation also viewed:


California Career Resource Network