Resume guide · Job Zone 3

Tax Preparersresume guide.

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses. A strong Tax Preparers resume shows reading comprehension, active listening and critical thinking, and names the tools you have worked with, such as Intuit TurboTax, Intuit QuickBooks and Microsoft Outlook.

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01Also called

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CPA (Certified Public Accountant)Enrolled AgentIncome Tax PreparerTax AccountantTax AdvisorTax AssociateTax ConsultantTax PreparerTax ProfessionalTax Specialist

02Skills employers expect

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Importance is how much the skill matters to the job; level is how much of it the job demands. Both are worth naming on the resume, in this order.

SkillImportanceLevel
Reading ComprehensionVery highAdvanced
Active ListeningHighAdvanced
Critical ThinkingHighIntermediate
Active LearningHighIntermediate
SpeakingHighIntermediate
Time ManagementHighIntermediate
Judgment and Decision MakingHighIntermediate
MathematicsHighIntermediate
MonitoringHighIntermediate
Service OrientationHighIntermediate

03Knowledge areas

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  • Economics and Accounting
  • English Language
  • Customer and Personal Service
  • Mathematics
  • Law and Government
  • Computers and Electronics
  • Administrative
  • Education and Training
  • Telecommunications
  • Communications and Media

04Common responsibilities

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Ordered by importance. Each one is a bullet waiting for a result and a number.

  1. Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
  2. Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
  3. Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
  4. Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
  5. Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
  6. Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
  7. Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
  8. Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
  9. Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
  10. Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.

05Software and tools

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41 tools across 15 categories. The six largest categories are below; Hot marks a hot technology, In demand a tool employers ask for most often.

Tax preparation software17
  • Intuit TurboTaxHotIn demand
  • ATX Total Tax Office
  • CCH ProSystem fx TAX
  • Intellitax financial solutions software
  • Intuit ProSeries
  • Universal Tax Systems TaxWise
  • Creative Solutions CPA Depreciation
  • Creative Solutions UltraTax CS
  • Datagroup ElectroFile 1040
  • Datagroup ElectroFile ELF
  • Datagroup ElectroFile ST
  • Electronic ToolKit for Tax Preparers
  • ExacTax PackageEX
  • GreatTax
  • LaCerte 1040 Tax Analyzer
  • Petz Enterprises V-Tax
  • Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS
+ 12 more
Accounting software5
  • Intuit QuickBooksHotIn demand
  • Tax softwareIn demand
  • Sage 50 Accounting
  • Quicken
  • ATX Total Accounting Office
Financial analysis software5
  • Sync Essentials Trade Accountant
  • Datair Employee Benefits Systems
  • Kleinrock Publishing
  • Sales Tax Tools Sales Tax Researcher
  • Sungard Relius
Electronic mail software2
Spreadsheet software2
Billing and invoicing software1
  • M8 Client Billing
Calendar and scheduling software1
  • ScheduleVIEW
Compliance software1
  • Tax compliance property tax management softwareIn demand
Data base user interface and query software1
Document management software1
  • Laserfiche Avante
Human resources software1
  • Greatland Corporation Winfiler
Internet browser software1
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
Office suite software1
Project management software1
  • ACI TaskTracker
Word processing software1

06Education and preparation

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Typical education
High School Diploma or the equivalent (such as a GED)
38% of surveyed workers. Others report Post-Secondary Certificate (24%) and Bachelor's Degree (24%).
Preparation level
Job Zone 3 · Medium preparation
Usually vocational training, an associate degree or a few years of related experience.

07Putting it on your resume

ResumeXRays guidance
BEE · How to show it

Lead with the credential and the record. Job Zone 3 roles usually ask for training, a license or a few years of related experience. Put those on the first screen, then show what you did with them.

Name the tools exactly. This occupation is heavy on named software. A skills section that says "Intuit TurboTax, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel" matches more job descriptions than a general phrase. Use the spelling employers use.

Show active listening and critical thinking, not just reading comprehension. Active listening and critical thinking rank close to reading comprehension for this occupation. One bullet per role that shows a decision, a tradeoff or a result covers them.

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