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Tax Accountant Education Requirements
Updated January 8, 2025
4 min read
There are several educational requirements to become a tax accountant. Tax accountants usually study accounting, business, or finance. 72% of tax accountants hold a bachelor's degree, and 16% hold an master's degree. We analyzed 8,711 real tax accountant resumes to see exactly what tax accountant education sections show.
The most common colleges for tax accountants are the University of Phoenix and the University of Phoenix.
There are also many online tax accountant courses to help get the education required to be a tax accountant.
There are certain tax accountant certifications that you should consider. These tax accountant certifications include Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Management Accountant (CMA).
What education do you need to become a tax accountant?
What degree do you need to be a tax accountant?
- Bachelor's, 72%
- Master's, 16%
- Associate, 9%
- High School Diploma, 1%
- Other Degrees, 2%
What should I major in to become a tax accountant?
- Accounting, 61%
- Business, 22%
- Finance, 5%
- Taxation, 2%
- Other Majors, 10%
Most common colleges for tax accountants
| Tax Accountant Common College | Percentages |
|---|---|
| University of Phoenix | 14.29% |
| University of Houston | 9.16% |
| Pace University | 6.47% |
| Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey | 5.80% |
| DePaul University | 5.12% |
Best majors for tax accountants
| Rank | Major | Percentages |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Accounting | 60.8% |
| 2 | Business | 21.6% |
| 3 | Finance | 5.0% |
| 4 | Taxation | 2.2% |
| 5 | Economics | 1.8% |
Best colleges for tax accountants
The best colleges for tax accountants are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
A tax accountant with advanced education typically earns a higher salary and has access to better jobs. That's why Zippia looked into the best colleges for tax accountants. We based this list on several metrics: admissions rate, retention rate, mean earnings of graduates, the ratio of working vs. non-working students ten years after admission, the average cost of attendance, and median debt for graduates who become tax accountants.
1. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$55,584
Enrollment
10,764
2. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
In-State Tuition
$54,568
Enrollment
8,451
3. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$56,225
Enrollment
19,548
4. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,808
Enrollment
13,990
5. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,308
Enrollment
6,819
6. San Diego State University
San Diego, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,488
Enrollment
30,018
7. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$49,880
Enrollment
4,177
8. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Enrollment
9,394
9. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
In-State Tuition
$53,948
Enrollment
17,238
10. SUNY Stony Brook
Stony Brook, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$9,625
Enrollment
17,407
20 best online courses for tax accountants
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1. Payroll Accounting: Laws, Calculations, and Journal Entries
Master the complex world of payroll with practical examples, legislation insights, and comprehensive problems...
2. Financial Accounting - Subsidiary Ledgers & Special Journals
Mastering Special Journals and Subsidiary Ledgers: A Comprehensive Guide to Streamlined Accounting Practices...
3. Financial Accounting-Adjusting Entries & Financial Statement
Master Adjusting Entries & Financial Statements: A Comprehensive Guide for Accurate Accounting and Reporting...
4. Tax Accounting Made Easy to Understand
Finally, an easy to understand tax accounting course. Taxes explained step by step...
5. Principles of Financial Accounting
Learn the complete accounting cycle -recording business transactions to presenting the Balance Sheet & Income Statement...
6. Financial Accounting & Excel-Comprehensive Accounting Course
Comprehensive accounting course to learn the accounting cycle in a practical way and pick up critical Excel fundamentals...
7. QuickBooks Payroll - QuickBooks Online
Processing Quick Books Online payroll for a small business, generating paychecks, processing payroll tax forms...
8. Financial Accounting: The Complete Introductory Crash Course
Learn the Basics of Financial Accounting: Financial Statements, Debits and Credits, The Accounting Cycle and More!...
9. Accounting & Bookkeeping Masterclass - Beginner to Advanced
Accounting, Bookkeeping Introduction, Accounting, Bookkeeping Entries, Accounting, Bookkeeping Adjustments & Reports...
10. Financial Accounting-Debits & Credits-Accounting Transaction
Masterclass: Learn Accounting Principles, Financial Statements, Transactions & More in this Comprehensive Course...
11. Accounting basics, create financial statements easily
Discover, develop, practice your financial information and explore the world of accounting...
12. Excel Accounting Problem
Learn How to Create an Accounting Worksheet Using Microsoft Excel from a Certified Public Accountant (CPA)...
13. Accounting 101: How to read an Accounting Balance Sheet
Accounting 101: Non-Accountants' Guide to Accounting. Learn Accounting. Get Paid More, and Get Promoted Faster!...
14. Financial Accounting-Depreciation Calculation & Fixed Assets
Optimizing Asset Management: Comprehensive Guide to Property, Plant, and Equipment Accounting...
15. Financial Accounting: A Comprehensive Guide with E-book
Unlock Financial Accounting Mastery: Comprehensive Course for Students, Professionals, and Business Owners...
16. Accounting, Bookkeeping & Financial Analysis (Accounting)
Accounting & Bookkeeping Basics. Accounting & Financial Analysis Concepts. Learn Accounting & Bookkeeping...
17. Ultimate Payroll Management with Income Tax & Year-End 23-24
Basic to Advanced: Certification in Payroll, Compensation Benefits, Income Tax,Year Ending for Payroll & Human Resources...
18. Governmental Accounting 100
Fund accounting-governmental accounting-General Fund & government-wide activity transactions-modified accrual method...
19. Fundamentals of Business Taxes
Learn the fundamentals of business taxes and understand the basics of doing taxes for your business...
20. Partnership Accounting - Financial Accounting
Unlocking the Power of Partnership Accounting: Strategies for Effective Management and Financial Decision Making...
Top 10 most affordable universities for tax accountants
The most affordable schools for tax accountants are SUNY Farmingdale, baruch college of the city university of new york, and brooklyn college of the city university of new york.
If the best universities for tax accountants are out of your price range, check out these affordable schools. After factoring in in-state tuition and fees, the average cost of attendance, admissions rate, average net price, and mean earnings after six years, we found that these are the most affordable schools for tax accountants.
1. SUNY Farmingdale
Farmingdale, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,306
Cost of Attendance
16,091
2. Baruch College of the City University of New York
New York, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,262
Cost of Attendance
14,046
3. Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
Brooklyn, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,240
Cost of Attendance
13,991
4. California State University - Dominguez Hills
Carson, CA • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,942
Cost of Attendance
14,469
5. USF Sarasota-Manatee
Sarasota, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,587
Cost of Attendance
13,043
6. Brigham Young University
Provo, UT • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,620
Cost of Attendance
18,136
7. SUNY Polytechnic Institute
Utica, NY • Private
In-State Tuition
$8,238
Cost of Attendance
21,567
8. Minot State University
Minot, ND • Private
In-State Tuition
$7,064
Cost of Attendance
15,576
9. Florida International University
Miami, FL • Private
In-State Tuition
$6,556
Cost of Attendance
19,434
10. Clayton State University
Morrow, GA • Private
In-State Tuition
$5,419
Cost of Attendance
17,697
Top 10 hardest universities to get into for tax accountants
The hardest universities for tax accountants to get into are Northwestern University, University of Pennsylvania, and Boston University.
Some great schools for tax accountants are hard to get into, but they also set your career up for greater success. The list below shows the most challenging universities to get into for tax accountants based on an institution's admissions rates, average SAT scores accepted, median ACT scores accepted, and mean earnings of students six years after admission.
1. Northwestern University
Evanston, IL • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,508
2. University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
8%
SAT Average
1,492
3. Boston University
Boston, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
22%
SAT Average
1,420
4. New York University
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
20%
SAT Average
1,419
5. University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
13%
SAT Average
1,445
6. Villanova University
Villanova, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
29%
SAT Average
1,407
7. Stanford University
Stanford, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
4%
SAT Average
1,497
8. Bentley University
Waltham, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
43%
SAT Average
1,338
9. SUNY at Binghamton
Vestal, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
40%
SAT Average
1,376
10. George Washington University, The
Washington, DC • Private
Admissions Rate
42%
SAT Average
1,380
Top 10 easy-to-apply-to universities for tax accountants
The easiest schools for tax accountants to get into are Notre Dame de Namur University, oklahoma wesleyan university, and holy names university.
Some schools are much easier to get into. If you want to start your career as a tax accountant without much hassle, check out the list of schools where you will be accepted in no time. We compiled admissions rates, average SAT scores, average ACT scores, and average salary of students six years after graduation to uncover which were the easiest schools to get into for tax accountants.
1. Notre Dame de Namur University
Belmont, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
82%
SAT Average
983
2. Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Bartlesville, OK • Private
Admissions Rate
68%
SAT Average
964
3. Holy Names University
Oakland, CA • Private
Admissions Rate
70%
SAT Average
849
4. D'Youville College
Buffalo, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
100%
SAT Average
1,072
5. Notre Dame College
Cleveland, OH • Private
Admissions Rate
90%
SAT Average
994
6. Nyack College
New York, NY • Private
Admissions Rate
98%
SAT Average
999
7. Gwynedd Mercy University
Gwynedd Valley, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
92%
SAT Average
1,031
8. University of North Texas at Dallas
Dallas, TX • Private
Admissions Rate
83%
SAT Average
992
9. Manor College
Jenkintown, PA • Private
Admissions Rate
94%
SAT Average
898
10. Curry College
Milton, MA • Private
Admissions Rate
93%
SAT Average
1,026
Average tax accountant salary by education level
| Tax Accountant education level | Tax Accountant salary |
|---|---|
| Master's Degree | $69,343 |
| Bachelor's Degree | $63,690 |
| Doctorate Degree | $71,092 |
Tax Accountant Education FAQs
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Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025