The hallmark of reaching adulthood is understanding that you are not only capable of caring for yourself and others, but that it is your responsibility to do so. As an adult, you will very likely have to earn your way, at least if you want a roof over your head, food on your table, and some fun money on the side.
As a kid, you might dream of exciting jobs like acting or flying airplanes, but the chances of landing such jobs and actually making a decent living are pretty slim. You’re better off selecting a career based on your strengths and what you enjoy.
Some people are good with numbers. Some are organized and detail oriented. Some work well with people. If you exhibit any, or preferably all of these traits, you may have the makings of a tax preparer. This is an especially good choice for those uninterested in spending years toiling in school to earn an accounting degree and take a CPA exam.
Why would you want to consider such a career, aside from the ability to work from home, run your own business, set your own hours, and earn a living? There are many situations in which becoming a tax preparer could fit nicely into your current lifestyle. Here are just a few types of individuals for whom a career as a tax preparer could be the perfect fit.
Stay-at-Home Parents
More and more families are finding that two incomes are necessary to support a modern household. In many cases, one parent elects to stay home and raise children, either because both agree that it’s better than childcare or because childcare is too expensive and the parent who earns a secondary income is spending it all on daycare costs.
That said, a secondary income might still be necessary to make ends meet. This is where working as a tax preparer could prove to be the perfect solution.
For starters, there are online courses available through licensed and accredited schools, allowing stay-at-home parents to earn certification in as little as 8-10 weeks. This certification allows parents to work from home, bring in a secondary income, and help family, friends, and those within the community to prepare annual or quarterly tax filings. Plus, kids can grow up under the supervision of a caring and devoted stay-at-home parent.
Home-Based Workers
There are many reasons why workers might prefer a home-based profession. There are, for example, those who are unable to commute to an office environment due to disability, or for whom working in a traditional office setting would impose hardship.
However, it’s much more likely that you’re interested in work opportunities that don’t require you to wear a suit, sit in traffic for hours each day, and labor under the micromanagement of half a dozen superiors. In other words, you want to work for yourself, from the comfort and convenience of your own home.
Becoming a tax preparer is an ideal profession to consider. Once you’ve completed appropriate tax courses remotely and earned your certificate, you can begin to build a network of clients, starting with family members, friends, neighbors, and other acquaintances.
You can determine how many clients to work with, how much to charge, and when to work, although naturally you want to build a big enough clientele to earn a living. Whether you simply work during the busiest tax preparation season or you work year-round helping clients stay on top of bookkeeping and quarterly filings, you have the opportunity to determine the work/life balance that suits you best.
Accounting Students
Perhaps it is your goal to become a CPA, whether you intend to work in a firm or eventually run your own business. During your time in school, there’s no reason not to put your skills and education to good use and earn a little money to reduce your student debt in the meantime.
You can take an online course over your summer break in order to become certified, allowing you the opportunity to work as needed to supplement student loans or even begin to pay them down. Tax preparation doesn’t have to be a full-time job – you can do it part-time while you’re in school by taking on just a few clients.
This is also great experience to add to your resume. It will not only help to prepare you for eventually becoming a full-fledged accountant, but it could help you to get a foot in the door when you finish school and start your career. Of course, you might just decide that the perks of being your own boss make you want to stick with tax preparation.
Professionals Seeking Seasonal Work
There are plenty of people interested in supplementing their income after the New Year in order to pay down debt accumulated during the busy holiday season. This would be a great time to use your certification in tax preparation to earn a little extra money on the side.
The turning of the calendar year also signals the beginning of tax prep season. As workers get their income tax forms in the mail, starting as early as January, they seek out skilled professionals to help them complete accurate and timely income tax returns so that they can get their refunds post haste.
As a tax preparer, you could probably work year-round, especially if you take on corporate clients that file quarterly estimated taxes. However, you could elect to limit your services to the busiest time of year – the months leading up to April 15 – in order to supplement your income seasonally.
Anyone Looking to Improve Job Prospects
It seems like the tax code becomes more and more incomprehensible each year, at least for the layman. This means that skilled tax preparers will always be in high demand.
If you have a head for numbers, an eye for detail, and a strong desire to improve your job prospects, there’s no reason you shouldn’t consider the benefits of enrolling in courses to become a successful tax professional. With the proper certification course you can quickly gain the knowledge and skill necessary to earn a living helping others prepare their taxes.
