Ask a client about new income
Find out about any new job or other income, then work out which paperwork is still missing.
Career profile
Tax Preparer
Tax preparers turn a client's income paperwork and interview answers into finished tax returns.
Tying each figure to tax law is how you help a client see what they owe or why money is coming back.
A day in the life
Decide if an expense qualifies
Weigh the client's receipts and answers against tax guidance before you claim an expense as a deduction.
Fix a tax software mismatch
When a total does not line up, match software entries to the paperwork and fix any that disagree.
Explain the finished return
Show the client step by step how you got each figure and answer their questions about the return.
Quick facts
High school + job training
United States · 2025
$54,920 median
United States · May 2025
4.7% projected growth
United States · 2025–2035
Quick orientation
Preparation, pay & outlook
Preparation
High school + job trainingTypical entry preparation is a high school diploma or equivalent, followed by on-the-job training. Registration rules also apply.
Pay
$54,920 medianThe national employee median is $26.40 an hour. A seasonal job does not necessarily provide a full year of earnings.
Outlook
4.7% projected growthAbout 9,400 openings a year are projected, including replacements for people leaving the occupation.
Fit, tradeoffs & changing tools
You might like this if…
- You like finding small errors in records.
- You can ask patient follow-up questions.
- You enjoy figuring out how a written rule applies.
Things to weigh
- Some jobs are seasonal. Deadline pressure and repeated desk work can make the busy months tiring.
- You handle private financial information. Careful record handling matters even when the return itself seems simple.
Where AI may help
Software can guide an interview and produce a draft return from the answers, reducing manual form work.
What people still lead
You still resolve unclear facts, make tax decisions, and explain the result. Some services combine preparation with video calls and software support.
What we can’t predict yet
How much routine preparation will move to self-service tools remains uncertain; the balance between completing returns and helping customers may shift.
Pay in context
Earnings
Compare the hourly rate with the months and hours offered. Annual wage estimates are not a promise of what one tax season will pay.
The national middle and spread
The May 2025 median was $54,920 a year, or $26.40 an hour. The 10th and 90th annual wage percentiles were $33,760 and $99,270. These are employee wage levels, not starting and experienced salaries; self-employed income is excluded.
Employer industry makes a difference
In May 2023, tax preparers averaged $58,000 annually in accounting, tax preparation, bookkeeping, and payroll services, compared with $52,660 in legal services. These older industry averages are a separate comparison from the 2025 national median.
Openings include replacement hiring
Employment is projected to grow 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, with about 9,400 openings annually from growth and replacement needs. That national estimate does not tell you how many jobs will be nearby.
Getting started
Take an employer's preparer course
- What the route involves
- H&R Block's Income Tax Course teaches income, deductions, credits, and return preparation through lessons and practice exercises.
- What it can lead to
- Build knowledge for applying to a tax professional role. Completing the course does not guarantee employment.
- What to check
- Enrollment requires age 18 and high school completion or equivalent. Materials charges may apply, and the course restricts enrollment by people working for or seeking work with competing tax-preparation businesses.
Train through volunteer preparation
Unpaid
- What the route involves
- Study through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program and pass the required training and certification before preparing returns.
- What it can lead to
- At a participating site, gain experience interviewing taxpayers and preparing eligible returns, with a quality review before filing.
- What to check
- Confirm placement and site requirements with the local program. Volunteer certification does not replace the registration needed for paid preparation.
You can begin with focused tax training rather than a college degree. Employer courses and volunteer preparation offer different ways to build the basics.
After entry
Career paths
This starts where the entry routes leave off: early work, growing capability, and advancement or specialization. This path also has a credential or licensing boundary; see the requirements and limits.
Get established
Build a reliable interview and checking routine. Use review feedback to catch recurring errors.
Handle more complex returns
Develop business-return skills and learn to research unfamiliar questions using government references and experienced colleagues.
Add representation skills
Consider becoming an enrolled agent if you want to help clients with IRS audits, collections, or appeals as well as preparing returns.
Where you can work
Small tax office
You may handle client interviews and draft returns while the owner performs the final review. The work passes between preparers and a reviewer before filing.
- Indoors
- Office
Virtual business-tax service
Some experienced roles combine video consultations, business-return preparation, and software troubleshooting. You also record customer interactions; remote work still involves direct client contact.
- Indoors
- Remote may be possible
Community volunteer site
Libraries and community centers can host unpaid preparation teams. You work within the program's eligible-return limits, and every return receives a quality review.
- Indoors
Try it
See whether the job clicks before you commit to the path.
Open the IRS Link & Learn Taxes basic lessons and work through one fictional taxpayer example. Write the follow-up question you would ask, then explain the relevant rule in two plain sentences. Notice whether you enjoy both the checking and the explaining.
Stay safe: Use training examples, not another person's real financial records.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine. Tax Preparers — 13-2082.00. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- O*NET OnLine / U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. National Wages: Tax Preparers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational projections and worker characteristics, 2025–35. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. May 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: Tax Preparers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- H&R Block. Income Tax Course. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Internal Revenue Service. Frequently asked questions: Do I need a PTIN?. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Internal Revenue Service. Understanding tax return preparer credentials and qualifications. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Internal Revenue Service. Become an enrolled agent. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- California Franchise Tax Board. Registered tax preparers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Internal Revenue Service. Link & Learn Taxes. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Internal Revenue Service. Free tax return preparation for qualifying taxpayers. Accessed 2026-10-03.
- Intuit. Seasonal Business Tax Associate. Accessed 2026-10-03.