Job Description & Responsibilities
A tax preparer is someone who fills out the forms and files the tax returns for individuals and businesses. This can mean filing tax returns at the federal, state or local level. The tax preparer is responsible for filling out the forms in a transparent and honest way that reflects what is necessary and permissible under current tax law. Since basic math is inevitably a part of the tax filing process, any math related background you have should be featured prominently in your tax preparer cover letter. Tax preparers are also responsible for correcting any errors that are later discovered in the forms they file.Qualifications
Unless you are an attorney or a certified public accountant, one normally does not encounter the details of tax law in everyday life. That means you must have specific training in the tax code, which is widely available from tax preparation firms, college and online courses or even the Internal Revenue Service itself. The challenge is not the basics of tax law, but in keeping up to date with the laws. The tax code is constantly changing, plus the numbers are often altered to account for inflation. Some states have laws requiring how often tax preparers must formally update their training.Salary Range
According to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the average tax preparer who works full time makes an average of 36,000 dollars per year. However, there are opportunities for much higher paydays if you do taxes for businesses as opposed to individuals. Businesses will pay as much as $200 per hour to someone who can identify all the tax breaks and other money saving angles available to them. Tax preparers must be constantly updating their knowledge by keeping abreast of changes in the tax laws at the federal, state and local level. For those that do, it should be easy to find steady employment at good pay.