How to Become a Tax Return Preparer

To become a tax preparer one must complete a course that teaches the right way to prepare taxes. The course will teach you about the different type of tax forms, tax laws and tax forms from other states. The courses can be taken at different centers including vocational schools, online schools or H & R Block service centers. Once you finish and pass the course, you will be able to prepare tax returns and understand different strategies for tax savings.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Tax course

How to Become a Tax Return Preparer

1. Sign up for a class on Income tax at a local college, online or at a H & R Block learning center. The information for all can be found online.

2. Attend the classes, which should take 12 weeks for a college or online school and nine weeks for a H & R Block class. The classes last about two hours a day one to two days a week. The time schedule will depend on the type of class you take.

3. Study in between classes and do all the homework. Most of the information needed to do the homework will be found in the books you have purchased for the class. The H & R Block tax course does give you all the books you need on the first day and are included in the fee.

4. Taking the tests and passing them is the important thing to remember. Every course or school will have a different testing schedule. You must have good grades on the tests to pass the tests. Most tests will be open book, but this will depend on the school.

5. Completing the class and passing the test will prepare you to become a tax preparer. After completion, you can apply to places such as H & R Block or any other private services that do tax returns. You will also be able to start your own home business by starting out with friends and family.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep all papers and tests for future reference.
• When doing taxes, refer to books and classroom material if you are unsure of a particular situation.
• If math is not your strong point, tax preparation might not be suitable for you.

Who Can Help Sponsored

• Earn your degree from industry experts at University of Phoenix. Take the next step in your career.

[weeziebeast]

on 1/30/2009 H&R Bock does require a non-compete clause, but only if you go to work for the company. It requires that you not work for a competitor for two years after leaving the company to protect client confidentiality. This is not required to take any of their courses. H&R Block courses are in-depth and thorough and I would recommend them to anyone. The cost of the course is easily made up for with the tax savings you will discover. Classes are open to anyone regardless of who you work for.

[shawnee50]

on 12/7/2008 Very nice job I was interested until you mentioned math. I hate math. I always see them use adding machine that I can do.

[dspindel]

on 8/13/2008 H&R BLOCK MAKES YOU SIGN A NON-COMPETE CLAUSE. IF THEY FIND OUT THAT YOU ARE GOING TO WORK FOR SOMEONE ELSE, THEY MAKE YOU LEAVE AND KEEP YOUR MONEY.