| When tax season rolls around, certified tax preparers | | | | once you are done. These types of programs are |
| suddenly become very popular. Being a tax preparer is | | | | typically advertised a few months before tax season |
| an excellent way to earn some extra money if you | | | | begins, so make sure you watch for them so that you |
| already have a full-time job, and it can also be a very | | | | won't miss out on a great opportunity. |
| rewarding full-time position for those of you who are | | | | If you are already familiar with how to do taxes, you |
| interested in changing careers. Regardless of your | | | | will have a definite advantage when you enter the |
| motivations, choosing to become a tax preparer is a | | | | classroom. Since you will already be quite comfortable |
| very wise investment of your time. | | | | doing taxes, you will probably not feel as intimidated |
| Once you become a certified tax preparer you will be | | | | about tackling some of the more complicated |
| able to operate your own business or work for an | | | | functions. |
| accounting firm or a tax preparation company. This is | | | | Starting Your Business |
| truly a career field that can give you some great | | | | Once you have become a certified tax preparer, you |
| flexibility with how you choose to work. | | | | will be ready to either find a job with a reputable |
| In fact, being a tax preparer is a great work at home | | | | company or start your own business. If you want to |
| job because the startup costs are minimal. This makes | | | | work from home and be your own boss, you will find |
| it an ideal business for people who would like to be | | | | that the requirements are fairly simple. |
| self-employed but who are on a strict budget. In | | | | Many people worry that they will appear |
| today's economy, cheap investments are definitely the | | | | unprofessional by working out of a home office. What |
| most popular. | | | | they don't realize is that there is no need for your |
| Getting Started | | | | clients to even realize where your office is located. For |
| The first thing you need to do is check out the | | | | instance, consider offering your clients a free service |
| different schools that offer tax preparation programs. | | | | where you pick up their paperwork from them at a |
| These courses of study are generally not very long, | | | | certain time and place, and then you return it to them |
| so they shouldn't require a huge investment of your | | | | when you have completed their taxes. |
| time or money. You should find a variety of different | | | | If you don't think this type of arrangement will work for |
| types of classes from which to choose. Some of | | | | you, you might try fixing your home office up so that it |
| them will be offered in a traditional classroom setting, | | | | looks extremely professional and inviting to clients. |
| while others will be offered online. Whichever method | | | | Make appointments for them to come to your office |
| of learning is best for you and your schedule is the one | | | | and always make sure that kids and pets are out of |
| you should choose. | | | | the way when your clients arrive so that there are no |
| It may save you some money to check with a variety | | | | distractions. |
| of different tax preparation companies. Often times, | | | | Once you have established yourself as a tax preparer, |
| the larger companies have their own training programs, | | | | you may very well find that your part-time project for |
| so you might be able to enroll in one of these for little | | | | extra income has turned into a full-time career. |
| or no fee if you are willing to work for the company | | | | |