Tax trainees work with experienced preparers and accountants to learn tax procedures. Requirements vary, but many need at least two years of college in accounting, math, or business. Trainees learn to prepare reports and use specialized software.
A tax trainee works alongside experienced tax preparers and accountants to learn the procedures necessary for a tax career. Some trainee positions pay a small starting salary, while others serve as unpaid tax internships for students who usually major in accounting or a related business field. A tax intern usually starts with basic tasks such as checking tax returns for errors, preparing balance sheets, and entering client information into a tax preparation software program. Some tax interns may also research specific tax laws as they apply to individual client accounts and present this information to the tax preparer.
Tax trainee job requirements may vary based on local regulations and the policies of individual accounting firms. Many aspiring tax consultants need to have at least two years of college in accounting, math, or business to qualify for one of these intern positions. Some established tax professionals hire interns who have completed high school, and these types of tax trainee positions often involve classroom instruction combined with hands-on experience in an accounting firm. One of these entry-level jobs usually prepares the trainee for the local, regional or national certifications needed for a tax career.
One area of focus in a tax trainee job is the accurate preparation of various reports to be submitted to the government revenue tax agency at the end of each fiscal year or quarter. These statements may include taxes deducted from the payroll of a company’s employees and summaries of any taxes an individual customer may owe to the tax agency. This type of work typically allows the intern to learn the specifics of local and national tax regulations, such as which types of expenses qualify as deductions and which do not. An intern with a little more experience will often help a tax preparer fill out client tax returns and correct common mistakes.
Part of a tax trainee’s work is often devoted to learning the use of specialized computer programs for various aspects of the accounting industry. Because many types of tax returns can be prepared and filed electronically, the intern will often practice entering the correct numbers on the correct forms and double-checking the totals before submitting the full tax return. Computer software is considered a tool that simplifies a process otherwise done with paper forms; therefore, a tax trainee still needs to apply learned concepts of mathematics and financial law, related to the tax system.
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