How to become a Tax Preparer

Official title: Tax Preparers

Also called: CPA (Certified Public Accountant), Enrolled Agent, Income Tax Preparer, Tax Accountant, Tax Advisor, Tax Associate, Tax Consultant, Tax Preparer, Tax Professional, Tax Specialist

Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses.

Main tasks

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

How to become one

Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent

Ways in

• Apprenticeship: Enrolled Agent Tax Consultant.
• College: Business & Commerce degrees, Offered by 35 universities in the US

Pay · Outlook · AI and this job

• Median pay: $54,920 a year The middle half earn $38,910 to $76,300.
• About 95,800 people work in this job now, and about 100,300 are projected by 2035. (+4.7%)
• People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Related jobs

• Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents
• Financial and Investment Analysts
• Accountants and Auditors
• Appraisers of Personal and Business Property
• Appraisers and Assessors of Real Estate
• Budget Analysts

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Questions people ask

How do I become a Tax Preparer?

Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Enrolled Agent Tax Consultant.

How much does a Tax Preparer earn in the US?

Median full-time pay is $54,920 a year (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). The middle half earn $38,910 to $76,300.

Is a Tax Preparer a growing career in the US?

Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5% by 2035, from about 95,800 to about 100,300 people (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics).

Do you need a degree to become a Tax Preparer?

Not always. 56% of people in this job hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Ways in include: Business & Commerce degrees; Enrolled Agent Tax Consultant.

Will AI change the work of a Tax Preparer?

People already use generative AI for a good share of this work, which usually changes the job more than it replaces it. Microsoft Research rates its AI applicability as high.

Sources

• Microsoft Research: Working with AI: AI applicability by occupation (2025-12-22 (built on O*NET 29.0)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Projections (2025-35 (released 2026-08-27)), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025), Public domain (BLS), retrieved 2026-10-03

Updated 2026-10-03

This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.