Tax Preparer Resume Examples & Writing Guide

Tax preparer resume template

3 tips for writing a tax preparer resume

Tax preparers are responsible for producing detailed tax returns and providing advice to clients on their tax obligations. Employers seek applicants who have the necessary qualifications and are easy to work with, so you should write a tax preparer resume that reflects these standards.

These three tips will teach you how to write a professional resume that’s tailored toward tax preparer job openings and clients looking for such services.

1. List your credentials and certifications

If you want to be considered for tax preparer roles, you need to clearly display your relevant credentials and certifications on your resume.

Include your tax preparer credentials in your education section or in an additional resume section called “Key Credentials” or “Professional Certifications” so employers can see them easily as they’re reading your application.

Also, remember to list your degree and educational background (such as relevant coursework) on your tax preparer resume. The minimum requirement to be a tax preparer is to have a high school diploma or GED, so include the name of your high school and graduation date if you don’t have a bachelor’s degree.

Have a look at this tax preparer applicant’s details on their resume education section and additional certifications section:

Education
University of Washington — May 20XX
Seattle, WA

Relevant coursework: Tax Planning and Research, Corporate Taxation, Fundamentals of Business Taxes

Professional Certifications

• Tax Preparer Certificate, Shoreline Community College, Shoreline, WA (20XX)
• Advanced Tax Preparation, National Tax Training School, (20XX)

2. Highlight your key skills

Include your hard skills (learned knowledge or technical abilities) on your tax preparer resume. Note that you can mention these skills in either your resume summary or your resume’s skills section to quickly highlight your strongest skills to clients and employers.

Here are several hard skills to include on your tax preparer resume:

• Tax preparation software knowledge, such as TurboTax and TaxACT
• Managing taxes in compliance with federal and state regulations
• Knowledge of accounting, bookkeeping and payroll
• Ability to work with numbers and calculations
• Accounting skills
• Understanding of US and international taxation systems
• Ability to recall and interpret data

In addition to hard skills, you also need soft skills (or people skills) to work well in a company or freelance setting. Tax preparation involves face-to-face interaction to ensure the work gets done properly, so provide examples of when you illustrated soft skills in your resume’s work experience section.

Below are some of the main soft skills people look for when hiring tax preparers:

• Working with clients to identify their needs and goals (collaboration)
• Preparing tax returns for individuals and businesses with no mistakes (organizational skills, attention to detail)
• Positive customer ratings and reviews (communication skills, professionalism)
• Leading a team of juniors to meet deadlines (leadership skills)
• Maintaining client and tax confidentiality policies
• Preparing taxes for businesses, self-employed individuals, and individuals with unearned income
• Compiling and sending tax data in accordance with the IRS’s deadlines (time management skills)

Here’s an example of how to highlight soft skills in a bullet point:

Managed 50+ client files and assured privacy and security for 100% of tax data by updating anti-malware programs and communicating through encrypted emails

3. Tailor your work experience section to the job description

Your tax preparer resume should highlight your experience with various types of taxes and tax laws. And because each company has its own set of specific requirements, make sure you optimize your tax preparer resume for each job you apply to.

Because modern companies use applicant tracking software (ATS) and specific to select the most suitable applicants, you should take the exact keywords from a job posting you’re applying for and include them on your resume.

Writing an ATS-friendly resume increases your chances of getting noticed by hiring managers. Employers will also be impressed if they see you’ve put effort into writing your resume and directly targeted your previous experience based on their requirements.

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Average tax preparer salaries in the US

After you’ve written your resume, make sure you use it to apply for jobs within a fair salary range.

The following table includes information from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics report for 2025. Here are the ten states with the highest salaries for tax preparers, as well as the national average for your reference when applying for work.