This career is a great opportunity for those who enjoy working with people and are good with numbers. It is a misconception to think that tax preparation services are needed only during the busy tax season from January through April. Many individuals and companies have a need for tax preparation services throughout the year as a result of filing for filing extensions.
Listed below are six strategies to assist you in planning to become a Tax Preparation Consultant.
You may enroll in one of the programs offered by a tax preparation service. To enroll you must have either a GED or high school diploma and several companies require that you have some experience either field. However, there are also firms which will train entry level candidates as long as you can demonstrate proficiency with numbers and comfortable win working with a calculator.
The best strategy is to call these agencies as early as September before the new tax filing season and inquire as to their admission policies. You will also want to inquire as to their hiring policies upon program completion. In effect, you want to know what the likelihood is that you will be hired as a regular employee after the rush of tax season.
If you would rather not be bound by a traditional classroom schedule due to family or other work obligations, you can also enroll in an online program to obtain certification. These courses may be offered by both private education companies as well as the continuing education programs of many local collages. With regard to private instructional programs, it is best to perform careful due diligence to ensure the program of your choice meets your needs.
A final method of preparing for this career is to complete your own taxes, or as much as you can if your situation is rather complicated. This method is probably best used in conjunction with a formal training program so that you can get exposure to all types of situations in completing forms on behalf of individuals, families, as well as business entities. l
There are currently only two states that require tax preparers to be licensed through their state education departments. These states are Oregon and California. However there is much talk of instituting federal regulations for the licensing of all those who charge a fee for the preparation of taxes. This is of special concern should you seek to operate a solo practice. In this event, check with your secretary of state for business licensing requirements. If you work for a tax preparation company, they likely already have the necessary licensure so this is not an issue of concern.