A Day In The Life Of An Income Tax Preparer
By trycmcw at 22 February, 2012, 12:00 am
In a struggling economy, a lot of people are considering taking on a new position or switching careers entirely. One career that is commonly considered by people looking to switch is becoming an income tax preparer. There are people everywhere looking to find a tax preparer, in Ohio, in California, in New Yorks – around the world. But what does a prep worker actually do? Walk through a day in the life and find out.
There is no typical time for an income tax preparer to wake up. The reason is simple: especially during busy season, there is a lot of variety in how long you can work and when your hours are. Stores may be open for 12 hours or more when most people are trying to get prep work done, which means that there is a lot of room to maneuver you are creating your schedule.
After getting up, you’ll head to wherever you actually work. In some cases, this will mean an office of one of the big national franchisers such as H&R Block, Liberty Tax Service, or Jackson Hewitt. For others, that will mean a small private office, or perhaps even the office of a lawyer or CPA. Where you work will largely depend on your own preferences. The franchises tend to hire seasonally, which provides the opportunity for a lot more work during the high season but little stability during off times. CPAs and attorneys may offer more stable work, but might require additional training or the assumption of additional duties throughout the year.
One option that a lot of people choose is to work as an income tax preparer during the high season alongside other jobs during off times. This provides a desirable variety and also a nice infusion of cash during the beginning of the New Year.
Regardless of what kind of work you choose, most of your day will be spent helping individuals accurately and effectively complete the forms they need and submit them to the government. This is the part of the job that most find very rewarding. They are required to think critically, and they get to see the direct impact. Families are grateful when their worker is able to find even a few more dollars in refunds that they can receive. People who are struggling smile when they hear the amount they’ll get back. It’s a very people-oriented job, much more than just crunching numbers.
In addition, thanks to the introduction of software that helps improve efficiency and reduces typos or errors, it’s no longer a completely technical field. Knowledge of IRS code is required, but it’s not something that should be restricted to those who love math.
If you enjoy helping people and are looking for a career which would allow you flexibility in your schedule with relatively low barriers to entry, this could be a good option. It is not free to enter; there is some education and certification required. However, it is low cost, and it can have a high reward.
Author is a freelance copywriter. For more information and to find a tax preparer in Ohio, please visit Liberty Tax.
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