How To Become A Tax Assistant: What It Is and Career Path

What is a tax assistant and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Tax assistants are responsible for supporting an organization's tax or accounting department. They perform both administrative and accounting functions. They greet customers, answer phone calls, make appointments, and file paperwork. Also, they perform data entry, scan documents, and sort mail. Some tax assistants help with filing annual or quarterly tax returns. While others are employed by tax service companies to assist tax preparers review and file tax returns of customers. Additionally, they use tax software programs, analyze and review complicated forms, and prepare reports and financial documentation.

Most employers prefer a college degree in a related field with an IRS VITA/TCE certification. Applicants must possess maths, time management, attention to detail, organization, communication, and teamwork skills. You must be proficient in Microsoft Office and database systems. You must be able to use office equipment. Tax assistants earn an average salary of $49,459. This varies between $32,000 and $77,000.

ScoreTax AssistantUS Average

Salary

3.4

Avg. Salary $43,893

Avg. Salary $59,228

Diversity

6.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.56%

Asian 11.15%

Black or African American 8.42%

Hispanic or Latino 15.25%

Unknown 4.15%

White 60.48%

Gender

female 60.67%

male 39.33%

Age - 48

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 48

Stress level

6.0

Stress level is manageable

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.0

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

2.0

Work life balance is very poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a tax assistant

Explore tax assistant education requirements

Most common tax assistant degrees

Bachelor's

64.8 %

Master's

13.8 %

Associate

13.6 %

Start to develop specific tax assistant skills

Skills	Percentages
Individual Tax Returns	26.68%
Low-Income Families	24.55%
Income Tax Returns	10.76%
IRS	5.02%
PowerPoint	3.80%

Complete relevant tax assistant training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New tax assistants learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a tax assistant based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real tax assistant resumes.

Gain additional tax assistant certifications

Tax assistant certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific tax assistant certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for tax assistants include Medical Assistant and Certified Nurse Assistant (CNA).

More About Certifications

Research tax assistant duties and responsibilities

Perform bank and account reconciliations and process monthly payroll using QuickBooks.
Offer orientation to CPA s and college students to complete their continue education credits and increase potential candidates.
Perform data entry of banking and expense information into QuickBooks and other accounting software reconciling the accounts at month end.
Assure filling completion per client folder by gathering clients and CPA approval signature, tax form printouts and documentation backup scans.

Prepare your tax assistant resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your tax assistant resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a tax assistant resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable tax assistant resume templates

Build a professional tax assistant resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your tax assistant resume.