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The differences between tax assistants and tax preparers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. Additionally, a tax preparer has an average salary of $51,020, 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 preparer are customer service, good communication, and exceptional client.
| Tax Assistant | Tax Preparer | |
| Yearly salary | $43,893 | $51,020 |
| Hourly rate | $21.10 | $24.53 |
| Growth rate | - | - |
| Number of jobs | 29,307 | 41,736 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Years of experience | - | - |
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.
A tax preparer is responsible for preparing and processing the tax obligations of an organization. Tax preparers' duties include calculating tax returns, reviewing financial statements and make adjustments as needed, analyzing deductible expenses and credits, and adhering to the tax regulations and legislation procedures at all times. A tax preparer must have excellent knowledge of the tax processes and timely updated with the recent changes and updates within the financial industry. Tax preparers should have impeccable analytical and critical thinking skills to manage account statements for business and individual clients.
Tax assistants and tax preparers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Tax Assistant | Tax Preparer | |
| Average salary | $43,893 | $51,020 |
| Salary range | Between $24,000 And $79,000 | Between $30,000 And $85,000 |
| Highest paying City | New York, NY | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Rhode Island | Rhode Island |
| Best paying company | Ernst & Young | Goldman Sachs |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Finance |
There are a few differences between a tax assistant and a tax preparer in terms of educational background:
| Tax Assistant | Tax Preparer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 46% |
| Most common major | Accounting | Accounting |
| Most common college | University of Southern California | University of Southern California |
Here are the differences between tax assistants' and tax preparers' demographics:
| Tax Assistant | Tax Preparer | |
| Average age | 47 | 47 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.3% Female, 60.7% | Male, 28.2% Female, 71.8% |
| 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, 10.9% Unknown, 4.1% Hispanic or Latino, 18.1% Asian, 10.3% White, 56.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% |
| LGBT Percentage | 8% | 8% |