CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmark Job Summary and Competencies

Tax Preparers

The Benchmark Job Description below represents the specific Position Characteristics of the job used in the Salary Survey. Benchmark Job Descriptions should be inspected carefully to review the degree of matching between an organizations' Job and the Salary Survey Benchmark. Matching internal Jobs to Salary Survey Benchmark Jobs should not be done on Job Title alone. A thorough comparison of Salary Survey Benchmark to Internal Job Descriptions is recommended. A good overlap should exist on any comparisons used on critical Job Dimensions and Competencies.
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
Summary Job Description Tasks
Prepare tax returns for individuals or small businesses. Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables.
 
Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
 
Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
 
Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
 
Review financial records such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns.
 
Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
 
Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
 
Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required.
 
Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
Important Knowledge Competencies Competency Description
Economics and Accounting Knowledge of economic and accounting principles and practices, the financial markets, banking and the analysis and reporting of financial data.
 
Customer and Personal Service Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
 
Mathematics Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
 
Computers and Electronics Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
 
Clerical Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
 
English Language Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
 
Law and Government Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
Important Skill Competencies Competency Description
Reading Comprehension Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
 
Active Listening Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
 
Critical Thinking Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
 
Speaking Talking to others to convey information effectively.
 
Social Perceptiveness Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
 
Mathematics Using mathematics to solve problems.
 
Monitoring Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
 
Service Orientation Actively looking for ways to help people.
 
Complex Problem Solving Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
 
Writing Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
 
Judgment and Decision Making Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
 
Active Learning Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
 
Time Management Managing one's own time and the time of others.
 
Coordination Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
Important Ability Competencies Competency Description
Oral Comprehension The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
 
Near Vision The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
 
Written Comprehension The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
 
Deductive Reasoning The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
 
Mathematical Reasoning The ability to choose the right mathematical methods or formulas to solve a problem.
 
Speech Clarity The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
 
Oral Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
 
Problem Sensitivity The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
 
Information Ordering The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
 
Speech Recognition The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
 
Inductive Reasoning The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
 
Category Flexibility The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.
 
Number Facility The ability to add, subtract, multiply, or divide quickly and correctly.
 
Written Expression The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
 
Selective Attention The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
 
Flexibility of Closure The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
 
Perceptual Speed The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
Tools/Technology Example Product Category
ACI TaskTracker Project management software
 
ATX Total Accounting Office Accounting software
 
ATX Total Tax Office Tax preparation software
 
CCH ProSystem fx TAX Tax preparation software
 
Creative Solutions CPA Depreciation Tax preparation software
 
Creative Solutions UltraTax CS Tax preparation software
 
Datagroup ElectroFile 1040 Tax preparation software
 
Datagroup ElectroFile ELF Tax preparation software
 
Datagroup ElectroFile ST Tax preparation software
 
Datair Employee Benefits Systems software Financial analysis software
 
Electronic ToolKit for Tax Preparers Tax preparation software
 
Email software Electronic mail software
 
ExacTax PackageEX Tax preparation software
 
GreatTax software Tax preparation software
 
Greatland Corporation Winfiler Human resources software
 
Intuit QuickBooks software Accounting software
 
Intuit Quicken software Accounting software
 
Kleinrock Publishing Financial analysis software
 
LaCerte 1040 Tax Analyzer Tax preparation software
 
Laserfiche Avante Document management software
 
M8 Client Billing software Accounting software
 
Microsoft Access Data base user interface and query software
 
Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet software
 
Microsoft Internet Explorer Internet browser software
 
Microsoft Office software Office suite software
 
Microsoft Outlook Electronic mail software
 
Microsoft Word Word processing software
 
Orrtax Software Intellitax software Tax preparation software
 
Petz Enterprises V-Tax Tax preparation software
 
ProSeries software Tax preparation software
 
Sage CPAPractice Manager Project management software
 
Sales Tax Tools Sales Tax Researcher Financial analysis software
 
ScheduleVIEW software Calendar and scheduling software
 
Sungard Relius software Financial analysis software
 
Sync Essentials Trade Accountant Financial analysis software
 
Tax$imple software Tax preparation software
 
TaxWorks software Tax preparation software
 
Thomson GoSystem MyTaxInfo Spreadsheet software
 
Universal Tax Systems TaxWise Tax preparation software
 
Web page creation and editing software Web page creation and editing software
 
Adding machines Adding machines
 
Desktop computers Desktop computers
 
Notebook computers Notebook computers
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
Prerequisite Qualification Category Education and Experience Level
Related Work Experience None
 
On-the-Job Training Anything beyond short demonstration, up to and including 1 month
 
Required Level of Education High School Diploma (or GED or High School Equivalence Certificate)
 
On-Site or In-Plant Training None
 
Required Level of Education Bachelor's Degree
 
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
Alternate Job Title(s)
Accountant
Bookkeeper
Certified Income Tax Preparer (CTP)
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Corporate Tax Preparer
Income Tax Advisor
Income Tax Consultant
Income Tax Expert
Income Tax Preparer
Licensed Tax Consultant
Paraprofessional
Tax Accountant
Tax Advisor
Tax Associate
Tax Consultant
Tax Evaluator
Tax Manager
Tax Preparer
Tax Specialist
 
CompGeo Occupation Group: Finance
Job Family: Tax
Benchmark Title: Tax Preparers
 
 
.
 
CompGeo Professional Salary Survey and Total Compensation Forecast Options
 
Professional Total Compensation Forecast Library
Regional Online Access Subscription Options. Online Salary Survey Forecast Library Subscriptions include Access To All 23 CompGeo Salary Survey Career Occupation Groups covering thousands of Salary Survey Benchmarks with Salary and Compensation Forecasts over a eight year time period - an unmatched feature in the Salary and Compensation Forecast Business Realm.. Direct Pay, Fringe Benefit Costs and Total Compensation Forecasts included. Compensation Forecasts are present for all CompGeo Salary Survey Benchmarks along with Salary Survey Aging Factors for ea ch Projection Date. All Salary Survey Forecast Reports include a Companion Excel Salary Survey Forecast Data Sheet.
 
CompGeo Professional Salary Survey Report and Forecast Samples
CompGeo Salary Survey Report Samples
Samples and Pricing for all CompGeo Online Professional Report and Online Forecast Library Subscription Options.
 
 
 
Copyright © 1995 - 2023 International Compensation Technologies and The Clayton Wallis Company.
All Rights Reserved World Wide ictcw.com
Member, WorldatWork - Formerly American and Canadian Compensation Associations (ACA/CCA)