Corporate accountant vs tax accountant

The differences between corporate accountants and tax accountants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a corporate accountant and a tax accountant. Additionally, a corporate accountant has an average salary of $64,300, which is higher than the $62,142 average annual salary of a tax accountant.

The top three skills for a corporate accountant include reconciliations, GAAP and account reconciliations. The most important skills for a tax accountant are CPA, tax audits, and income tax returns.

Corporate accountant vs tax accountant overview

	Corporate Accountant	Tax Accountant
Yearly salary	$64,300	$62,142
Hourly rate	$30.91	$29.88
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	54,174	57,919
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a corporate accountant do?

A corporate accountant is an individual who prepares financial statements and maintains financial records of an organization to ensure that they comply with laws, regulations, and the organization's policies. Corporate accountants are required to analyze financial statements to help executives make financial decisions for the organization. They must collect ledgers and financial reports from divisional offices and prepare corporate financial statements for executives. Corporate accountants must also prepare budgets to allocate funds for spending for each department.

What does a tax accountant do?

A tax accountant is an individual who works with clients to produce tax return documents that follow tax laws and regulations while keeping them updated on their return information. Tax accountants must determine tax strategies for their clients that may minimize or eliminate tax payments while arranging audits with taxation authorities. They prepare tax documents for different clients, including private companies, non-profit organizations, and private individuals. Tax accountants are also required to obtain a bachelor's degree in accounting and should understand business concepts.

Corporate accountant vs tax accountant salary

Corporate accountants and tax accountants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Corporate Accountant	Tax Accountant
Average salary	$64,300	$62,142
Salary range	Between $46,000 And $89,000	Between $45,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	New York	New York
Best paying company	Putnam Investments	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between corporate accountant and tax accountant education

There are a few differences between a corporate accountant and a tax accountant in terms of educational background:

	Corporate Accountant	Tax Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 76%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Corporate accountant vs tax accountant demographics

Here are the differences between corporate accountants' and tax accountants' demographics:

	Corporate Accountant	Tax Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 43.1% Female, 56.9%	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.6% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.0% Asian, 13.0% White, 63.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%	Black or African American, 8.2% Unknown, 3.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.5% Asian, 15.5% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.5%
LGBT Percentage	7%	7%

Differences between corporate accountant and tax accountant duties and responsibilities

Corporate accountant example responsibilities.

Lead successful implementation of PeopleSoft fix asset software module.
Manage and monitor accounting procedures for compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and coordinate and facilitate external audit requirements.
Perform month-end closing responsibilities, month-end accruals, expense allocations across business units and legal entities, and account reconciliations.
Perform general accounting assignments including accruals, profit and loss reports and reconciliations.
Prepare monthly journal entries and variance reconciliations primarily relating to compensation, operational accruals, investments, and partnerships.
Perform detailed and extensive schedules and analysis for annual audits by an outside CPA firm as required by law.

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Tax accountant example responsibilities.

Utilize QuickBooks to manage client data and prepare necessary financial statements.
Manage and prepare sales and use tax account reconciliations and property tax liability accounts and prepare corresponding journal entries.
Prepared/Review financial statements according to GAAP and propose adjusting entries for clients.
Prepare tax returns for corporations, partnerships, non-profit organizations and individuals.
Work with various accounting departments, with duties such as account reconciliations, customer service, and administrative/clerical positions.
SAP, ONESOURCE, YESWIN, and BSAEfiling

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Corporate accountant vs tax accountant skills

Common corporate accountant skills

Reconciliations, 14%
GAAP, 6%
Account Reconciliations, 6%
CPA, 5%
General Ledger Accounts, 5%
External Auditors, 4%

Common tax accountant skills

CPA, 9%
Tax Audits, 4%
Income Tax Returns, 4%
Tax Research, 4%
Reconciliations, 4%
Financial Statements, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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