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Career Details

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13-2082.00 - Tax Preparers


Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.


Key Facts
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Bright Outlook
Career Details
Green Job
Career Details
Current Employment
90,400
Estimate
Forecasted Employment
91,800
Estimate
Change in Employment
+1,400
Estimate
Change in Employment %
+1.6%
Estimate
Tasks
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Tasks
The tasks listed below can be performed to prepare you for a career in this field.
Core
  • 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.
  • Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.
  • Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
  • Schedule appointments with clients.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Knowledge
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Knowledge

The items listed below are organized into sections that contain knowledge useful for pursuing a career in this field. Each section also contains a "Percentage of Importance" statistic that shows how relevant an item is to the occupation.
 Customer and Personal Service
  • 80%
    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
  • 77%
    Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 English Language
  • 74%
    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
  • 69%
    Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 Law and Government
  • 69%
    Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 Mathematics
  • 68%
    Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 Clerical
  • 64%
    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.
 Administration and Management
  • 59%
    Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.
 Sales and Marketing
  • 55%
    Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
 Personnel and Human Resources
  • 53%
    Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Tools
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Tools
The tools listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Calculating machines and accessories
  • 10-key calculators
 Computers
  • Desktop computers
  • Notebook computers
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Technology
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Technology
The technologies listed below include machines, equipment, tools, and software that is useful for individuals who are interested in this career.
 Business function specific software
  • ACI TaskTracker
  • Greatland Corporation Winfiler
  • Microsoft OfficeHOT
 Finance accounting and enterprise resource planning ERP software
  • ATX Total Accounting Office
  • ATX Total Tax Office
  • CCH ProSystem fx TAX
  • Creative Solutions CPA Depreciation
  • Creative Solutions UltraTax CS
  • Datagroup ElectroFile 1040
  • Datagroup ElectroFile ELF
  • Datagroup ElectroFile ST
  • Datair Employee Benefits Systems
  • Electronic ToolKit for Tax Preparers
  • ExacTax PackageEX
  • GreatTax
  • Intuit ProSeries
  • Intuit QuickBooksHOT
  • Intuit Quicken
  • Kleinrock Publishing
  • LaCerte 1040 Tax Analyzer
  • M8 Client Billing
  • Orrtax Software IntelliTax
  • Petz Enterprises V-Tax
  • Sales Tax Tools Sales Tax Researcher
  • Sungard Relius
  • Sync Essentials Trade Accountant
  • Tax software
  • Thomson Reuters UltraTax CS
  • Universal Tax Systems TaxWise
 Information exchange software
  • Email software
  • Microsoft OutlookHOT
 Content management software
  • Laserfiche Avante
 Data management and query software
  • Microsoft AccessHOT
  • Sage 50 Accounting
 Content authoring and editing software
  • Microsoft ExcelHOT
  • Microsoft WordHOT
  • ScheduleVIEW
  • Thomson GoSystem MyTaxInfo
  • Web page creation and editing software
 Network applications software
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Certifications
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Certifications
The certifications listed below are useful to pursue if you are interested in a career in this field.
 Specialty
 Advanced
 Core
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Licensing
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Licensing
The licensing information below is organized into sections and is useful for pursuing if you are interested in a career in this field.
No specific licensing information is listed for this occupation in the area you have selected.
All data sourced from US Department of Labor, Employment & Training Administration O*Net Database.
Related Programs
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Programs related to this career, offered by participating institution(s), are listed below.

Clicking on the Degree programs in the list below will take you away from the Careers page.
INSTITUTION
PROGRAMS
Peirce College
 Programs
Jobs
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Jobs related to this career may be found on Indeed.com or on the Google Job Search page.