Professional Tax Preparer Resume Examples [+ Skills, Objective, Summary]

Tax season is the time of the year that most people dread. The complexity of preparing one’s taxes is high, which is why some may opt to employ the help of a tax preparer. Tax preparers, as its name suggests, calculates, prepares, and files taxes on behalf of everyday people or even businesses. Tax preparers will have to review their clients’ income statements, expenses, and other relevant documents to determine which circumstances may lead to tax credits or deductions.

To ensure that you instill confidence in recruiters and potential clients, you would want to make your tax preparer resume as professional as possible to increase your chances of getting hired. Understanding the essence of what makes a great tax preparer CV can make your resume-making journey seamless.

Technology has changed how recruiters sift through candidates. Nowadays, most recruiters would use an ATS (applicant tracking software) to filter through the tax preparer CVs they receive to make the recruitment process easier for them. An ATS will scan and rank all the tax preparer resumes they receive, which would help decrease the number of resumes that recruiters will have to read through.

Online, you will be able to find a plethora of tax preparer resume templates and tax preparer resume examples that you can refer to when crafting your own. Be aware that these online tax preparer resume examples and templates may not necessarily fit all of your needs and backgrounds.

So, do adjust them accordingly depending on the job context and your qualifications.

In general, resumes are used for job applications and would usually require tailoring. CVs, on the other hand, are mainly used in science fields, academia, or medicine and won't need as much tailoring. These differences don't affect the job description of a tax preparer though, so the terms “tax preparer resume” and “tax preparer CV” can be considered as synonyms of each other.

That being said, no matter what you decide to call it, you should still tailor your tax preparer CV to fit the job position and make your candidacy more relevant to recruiters. Sections that you should mainly tailor may include your tax preparer resume skills, your tax preparer resume objective and/or summary, and your tax preparer resume description. 

If you’ve had any tax preparing-related achievements or results, you will definitely want to show them off. Describe them quantitatively instead of qualitatively to increase the impact of your tax preparer resume. Doing so will make your CV look more convincing and more apparent.

If you’ve done the hard work of obtaining a license or any tax preparation-related certifications, for any sort of tax preparer resume (especially for a certified tax preparer resume), it’s best to create a new section to fully highlight them in your tax preparer CV.

Including a tax preparer resume objective in your CV might sound old-fashioned, but it can help recruiters understand your career goals and aspirations. A resume objective is usually short (single-lined) and should be at the top of your resume.

Your tax preparer resume summary should be able to summarize the contents of your tax preparer resume within a sentence or two. Remember, recruiters can’t afford to spend a lot of time on one resume, so including a resume summary can help them to quickly get an idea of who you are as a candidate.

Tax preparation skills are one of the elements that will define how recruiters will see your candidacy. No matter the type of resume you have, whether an entry-level tax preparer resume or even a certified tax preparer resume, skills are one of the most important aspects of your CV. Although the skills that you possess are important, structuring them in a professional manner is just as important.

There are four formats to choose from for your tax preparer resume skills:

The best tax preparer resume skills format for you will depend greatly on your skill level as well as the job context. So, ensure that you’ve made a comprehensive evaluation of your background before you fully commit to a format.

Tax preparer resume skills examples:

✅ Advice 1: Choose the right resume format for a tax preparer resume with no experience

For a tax preparer resume with no experience, there are four formats that you can use: chronological, functional, hybrid/combination, and targeted.

The formats will benefit certain candidates differently, so evaluate your overall qualifications, background, before deciding on a format to implement on your tax preparer CV.

✅ Advice 2: Adopt a tax preparer resume objective

Worrying about your lack of experience in an entry-level tax preparer resume is understandable. You can ease off some of your worries by adopting a tax preparer resume objective to redirect the recruiter’s attention away from your lack of experience and to your career aspirations and goals.

✅ Advice 3: Highlight your education

Your educational qualifications are especially important if you have an entry-level tax preparer resume. Your education is formal and definitive proof of your knowledge and skills on tax laws and tax preparations. 

✅ Advice 4: Include your portfolio/side project/personal website

If you’ve had any side projects, portfolios, or personal website that highlights your skills as a tax preparer or are in line with the job context, including it in your entry-level tax preparer resume can help boost your standing with recruiters; as they give you a chance to highlight your qualifications.

✅ Advice 5: Write a sincere personal banker cover letter

A tax preparer cover letter is a single-paged document where you can further explain your qualifications and tax preparer background. With a maximum of two pages only, your tax preparer CV won’t have enough space for you to elaborate on certain things and to fully convey your passion and potential as a candidate.

To write a great tax preparer cover letter, open with an introduction of yourself and include your contact details. Your cover letter should also contain some elaboration on your relevant experience, achievements, skills, and education. Remember to explain why the position is perfect for you and your motivations for applying. Finally, close off politely, thanking the recruiters for taking the time to read through your tax preparer cover letter.