Tax assistant vs tax consultant

The differences between tax assistants and tax consultants can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tax consultant has an average salary of $66,737, which is higher than the $43,893 average annual salary of a tax assistant.

The top three skills for a tax assistant include individual tax returns, low-income families and income tax returns. The most important skills for a tax consultant are CPA, tax planning, and tax issues.

Tax assistant vs tax consultant overview

	Tax Assistant	Tax Consultant
Yearly salary	$43,893	$66,737
Hourly rate	$21.10	$32.09
Growth rate	-	6%
Number of jobs	29,307	39,379
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	47	47
Years of experience	-	-

What does a tax assistant do?

The tax assistant is responsible for supporting an organization's tax or accounting department. Their job is a combination of accounting support and administrative assistance. They should be able to run an office, as well as perform higher-level tasks, such as processing tax returns and sustaining databases. A tax assistant works under the direction of a tax manager or executive, but most of their duties are performed with less supervision. Tax assistants should also be dynamic and can comfortably work alone.

What does a tax consultant do?

Tax consultants are experts in providing commercially centered tax advice and tax services to wide-ranging clients who function in all sectors of the economy. The work they do involves devising tax-efficient strategies for international and domestic-based clients in various business situations, including takeovers, company merges, and corporate reconstructions. They work continually to help clients ensure that the best business decisions are met. They also monitor and get ahead of possible changes concerning tax legislation and responding fast with guidance specific to their clients' tax requirements.

Tax assistant vs tax consultant salary

Tax assistants and tax consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Tax Assistant	Tax Consultant
Average salary	$43,893	$66,737
Salary range	Between $24,000 And $79,000	Between $47,000 And $93,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Hartford, CT
Highest paying state	Rhode Island	Rhode Island
Best paying company	Ernst & Young	Cargill
Best paying industry	Finance	Finance

Differences between tax assistant and tax consultant education

There are a few differences between a tax assistant and a tax consultant in terms of educational background:

	Tax Assistant	Tax Consultant
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 65%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Accounting	Accounting
Most common college	University of Southern California	University of Southern California

Tax assistant vs tax consultant demographics

Here are the differences between tax assistants' and tax consultants' demographics:

	Tax Assistant	Tax Consultant
Average age	47	47
Gender ratio	Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7%	Male, 52.7% Female, 47.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.4% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 11.1% White, 60.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	Black or African American, 10.5% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 17.0% Asian, 10.4% White, 57.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%
LGBT Percentage	8%	8%

Differences between tax assistant and tax consultant duties and responsibilities

Tax assistant example 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.
General QuickBooks information and data entry.
Complete IRS tax-preparation training and prepare and electronically file income taxes for individuals.

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Tax consultant example responsibilities.

Manage the training and use of new FactSet products and enhancements with various client bases including portfolio management and performance teams.
Maintain and generate the process of structuring and conducting business transactions to ensure that GAAP procedures are followed.
Develop, maintain, and ensure accounting policies and procedures are in accordance with company member agreements & GAAP.
Prepare returns and consult on tax and accounting issues for own clients as well as contract work for other CPA firms.
Work closely with CPA on data verification and documentations processing.
Save customers thousands of dollars on Mexico-U.S. cross-border taxation advisory.

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Tax assistant vs tax consultant skills

Common tax assistant skills

Individual Tax Returns, 27%
Low-Income Families, 25%
Income Tax Returns, 11%
IRS, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%
Financial Statements, 4%

Common tax consultant skills

CPA, 13%
Tax Planning, 7%
Tax Issues, 6%
Taxation, 6%
Tax Research, 5%
Income Tax Returns, 5%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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