Forensic accountant vs tax accountant

The differences between forensic 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 forensic accountant and a tax accountant. Additionally, a forensic accountant has an average salary of $66,833, which is higher than the $62,142 average annual salary of a tax accountant.

The top three skills for a forensic accountant include CPA, litigation and forensic accounting. The most important skills for a tax accountant are CPA, tax audits, and income tax returns.

Forensic accountant vs tax accountant overview

	Forensic Accountant	Tax Accountant
Yearly salary	$66,833	$62,142
Hourly rate	$32.13	$29.88
Growth rate	6%	6%
Number of jobs	39,176	57,919
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age	44	44
Years of experience	4	4

What does a forensic accountant do?

Working close together with law enforcement agencies, a forensic accountant specializes in investigating potential fraud and financial crimes. Their responsibilities typically include performing extensive research and analysis, gathering and analyzing various forms of financial data and storage, reviewing and validating documents, verifying information, and conducting internal and external financial audits. Most of the time, a forensic accountant presents research findings to lawyers and judges as evidence, which will require them to participate and testify in court proceedings.

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.

Forensic accountant vs tax accountant salary

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

	Forensic Accountant	Tax Accountant
Average salary	$66,833	$62,142
Salary range	Between $44,000 And $100,000	Between $45,000 And $83,000
Highest paying City	Washington, DC	New York, NY
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	New York
Best paying company	Berkeley Research Group	Pacific Investment Management Company LLC
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between forensic accountant and tax accountant education

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

	Forensic Accountant	Tax Accountant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 71%	Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of Pennsylvania

Forensic accountant vs tax accountant demographics

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

	Forensic Accountant	Tax Accountant
Average age	44	44
Gender ratio	Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%	Male, 47.3% Female, 52.7%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.8% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.1% Asian, 12.1% White, 63.6% 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 forensic accountant and tax accountant duties and responsibilities

Forensic accountant example responsibilities.

Prepare internal financial reports for treasury manage accounts include in external compliance reports.
Gain accounting and auditing experience with this CPA firm.
Select and roll out ERP software to meet company requirements.
Complete all tasks for a full service CPA firm independently with little supervision.
Inspect account books and accounting systems for efficiency, effectiveness, and use of GAAP to record transactions.
Prepare responses to interrogatories and requests for production documents.

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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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Forensic accountant vs tax accountant skills

Common forensic accountant skills

CPA, 21%
Litigation, 16%
Forensic Accounting, 8%
Financial Data, 7%
Fraud Investigations, 7%
CFE, 5%

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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