What Do Tax Accountants Do?
Job Descriptions September 25, 2013Tax accountants work solely with tax returns, company taxes, audits and other forms of tax record keeping. They file for earnings, send important documents and provide tax statements, when requested. In this career field, you may be working for an organization, as an employee, or you may work on your own and take on many clients.
Tax accountants are almost always certified and usually work with tax preparation, though correspondence with the IRS might be necessary. Other job duties might include working as a supervisor in the accounting department of a firm.
What Tax Accountants Are Expected to Know
To start this career, you must pursue a degree in accounting and hopefully achieve some work experience. For instance, employers would appreciate an applicant with managerial experience in case they need a leader to work with executives. Hard and long hours are expected as there will be much paperwork, e-filing and receipt monitoring.
Since this is the corporate environment, you may also have to get information from clients and other executives to be sure that all tax correspondence is accurate. For this reason, experience working with taxes and certification is expected. However, also bear in mind that companies are still subject to state law regarding certification requirements.
Not only are you filing reports, but you must also stay aware of the latest trends of your industry. This also means being aware of the latest government regulations, not only to protect yourself but your clients, who are counting on you to keep them up to date with the yearly changes.
There are other career paths you can follow after receiving a thorough education in tax accounting. Tax accountancy is not limited to working with tax preparation and returns. You could also branch out into forensic accounting and auditing. In fact, you could go full time with these paths or do part-time work on the side.
A Typical Day in Tax Work
A lot of your job will involve computer work, as well as filling out forms, reviewing records and reporting on online files. However, before this happens you will have to meet with clients and review files together, emphasizing the need for some solid people skills.
If you progress to a higher position, then you may have to supervise others and train others in certain skills. You may also have to meet with government representatives via online forms, telephone or live meetings on the Internet. Indeed, much of your day will simply be in planning meetings, and organizing the information you need in order to make your appointments productive.
There are so many Americans suffering from recession, falling behind on their taxes, and trying to stay above water in this economy. You can be part of the solution by offering your services as a tax accountant, and helping people to file all the necessary paperwork.
Why not look into this well-paying career and see what positions are available? After a college education, you will be well equipped to work in a variety of positions and with big name companies!
