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Tax advisor vs finance planner

The differences between tax advisors and finance planners can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a finance planner has an average salary of $71,607, which is higher than the $58,252 average annual salary of a tax advisor.

The top three skills for a tax advisor include local tax returns, reconciliations and customer service. The most important skills for a finance planner are financial aid, financial services, and client facing.

Tax advisor vs finance planner overview

Tax AdvisorFinance Planner
Yearly salary$58,252$71,607
Hourly rate$28.01$34.43
Growth rate-15%
Number of jobs76,71091,557
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Average age4745
Years of experience-4

What does a tax advisor do?

Tax Advisors are responsible for providing tax advice to clients in the area of tax legislation and tax obligations. Their duties include researching tax legislation, gathering client information, submitting tax returns, liaising with internal revenue service representing clients, and developing tax strategies. They are responsible for performing tax computations, forming family trusts, undertaking estate planning as well as consulting on matters regarding domicile and tax residence. Tax Advisors also give advice related to indirect taxation and prepare reports.

What does a finance planner do?

A financial planner is responsible for handling client accounts and providing financial advice to determine the best investment options according to the clients' interests and risk appetite. Financial planners record the clients' living expenses as a part of their portfolio, identifying their long-term goals and objectives, and giving tax advice. They also educate clients with investment options and opportunities to improve the clients' account performance and sell financial products. A financial planner must have excellent analytical and communication skills to conduct data and statistical analysis, especially in researching financial instruments in the market.

Tax advisor vs finance planner salary

Tax advisors and finance planners have different pay scales, as shown below.

Tax AdvisorFinance Planner
Average salary$58,252$71,607
Salary rangeBetween $29,000 And $116,000Between $42,000 And $120,000
Highest paying CityCumberland, RISpringfield, MA
Highest paying stateNew HampshireMassachusetts
Best paying companyDLA PiperNorthern Trust
Best paying industryEnergyInsurance

Differences between tax advisor and finance planner education

There are a few differences between a tax advisor and a finance planner in terms of educational background:

Tax AdvisorFinance Planner
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 54%Bachelor's Degree, 73%
Most common majorAccountingBusiness
Most common collegeUniversity of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Tax advisor vs finance planner demographics

Here are the differences between tax advisors' and finance planners' demographics:

Tax AdvisorFinance Planner
Average age4745
Gender ratioMale, 36.6% Female, 63.4%Male, 62.0% Female, 38.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 9.7% Unknown, 4.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.6% Asian, 10.1% White, 58.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%Black or African American, 5.7% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 9.6% Asian, 8.4% White, 71.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%
LGBT Percentage8%5%

Differences between tax advisor and finance planner duties and responsibilities

Tax advisor example responsibilities.

  • Manage a staff of six for all aspects of tax compliance, tax accounting, research, planning and IRS audits.
  • Provide payroll processing, invoicing and tax support services for small consulting business using QuickBooks software.
  • Assist customers with IRS correspondence/notices.
  • Advise companies on international taxation law and bilateral taxation recognition regimes to identify most cost effective strategies.
  • Review domestic payroll reporting metrics, ensure home/host payments are updated and reconcile for timely submission and payment.
  • Start job by assisting TurboTax user's on how to enter information into the TurboTax program.

Finance planner example responsibilities.

  • Manage financial planning, educate clients on fix indexed annuities, and consistently analyze financial markers and ever-changing client needs.
  • Manage and strengthen customer relationships through cross-selling and up-selling to maximize retention and income generation by contacting existing and prospective customers.
  • Represent a large brokerage firm for products and services through direct sales.
  • Educate clients in tax implications for products that include mutual funds, securities, and retirement plans.
  • Redesign the existing report from a value-base manual effort to a Hyperion driven report, vastly improving both efficiency and accuracy.
  • Gain additional responsibility as a season FSR.
  • Show more

Tax advisor vs finance planner skills

Common tax advisor skills
  • Local Tax Returns, 8%
  • Reconciliations, 7%
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • IRS, 7%
  • Income Statement, 6%
  • Individual Tax Returns, 6%
Common finance planner skills
  • Financial Aid, 21%
  • Financial Services, 9%
  • Client Facing, 8%
  • Retirement Planning, 7%
  • Estate Planning, 6%
  • Life Insurance, 6%

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