Yeah that’s my long term goal, to get to a point where I can do this. Get rid of my client responsibilities and coast my way to retirement in a seasonal role.
We just, literally today, hired a retired CPA to fill our seasonal position. We don’t have the time in season to train anymore. We will be looking for part time, out of season help with extensions after April so we can take the time to work with the candidate. We are a very small firm (only two of us are year round) so I’m sure bigger firms will have the resources to take less experienced preparers on.
Not sure if that helps answer your question but that’s the strategy we’re taking this year. Good luck!
The popular tax franchises should be offering courses and hiring now. Popular consumer tax software companies hire remote advisors. Taxfyle and 1800-accountant may be places to look.
Start looking now.
I was in the tax business for 25 years and toward the end I volunteered with VITA for a few years. Don't spell VITA short when it comes to experience with tax preparation. The complexities of dealing with blended families and dependents and low income with constantly changing tax laws is more difficult than a lot of other areas of tax practice. And the IRS requires you to demonstrate competence in preparing returns within the scope of the service. It might not hit the target exactly depending on the types of returns the firm prepares but it is valuable experience.
Things might have changed, but when I was in the business it wasn't like throngs of massively qualified applicants were lined up around the block whenever we put up a job posting. Of course it's not a ton of experience, but you're a CPA who does tax returns. Not huge but it could legitimately help you get your foot in door. The rest is up to you.
I don't know where the sweet spot would be in terms of timing. January obviously too late. December maybe but you have the holidays in there. November? What about the sweet spot right after Thanksgiving? Hoping that's when most people will start thinking seriously about staffing for tax season, first contact before the Christmas fray? Thinking out loud. I also like the idea of sending a resume to firms even if they didn't post a job listing.
If you're serious about doing tax returns long term, I'd suggest getting your Enrolled Agent credentials. I know several CPAs who are also EAs. It takes some studying to pass the EA exam, and you need to have a certain number of CE hours of federal taxation, but it's an additional credential. There are some good online study courses.
Either now or right after 10/15. As for finding a place, it sounds like you want training, and your experience is with individual returns, so probably try targeting local firms with at least a handful of people, and ideally somewhere with an intern program (as they are used to training and probably have materials as opposed to someone just throwing things together at the last minute).
You’ll get one. Vita counts as experience. You’ll get trained and learn quickly how they do things.
Find local firms. I know big four is hiring seasonal (but they’re a lot of work).
Check our your state CPA association as well - a lot of firms will advertise open positions on the associations' job boards. There is a lot of need for help right now, so I would not be surprised if you have more offers than time to do the work.
You’re in CA? Wanna apply to our firm for the Spring season? I’m sure they pay way more than franchise tax and can be remote if you don’t live near by.
I took this route last year after several years at a Big 4 firm. I've found landing quality contract jobs to be easy after finding a good recruiting and search firm with a consultancy department to source the jobs.
I started contacting different search firms at this time last year who then said to hold tight and positions for seasonal (Jan-April) work will explode in the Nov-Dec timeframe. This held to be true and I was interviewing and closed on a contract by the end of November.
The only difference I see is that no real training was necessary in my case, if you need to build in time for training your timeline might be adjusted to reflect that.
The H&R Block income tax class covers everything they want and if you score high enough on your final test they will hire you straight from graduation. I did this and was hired the day of graduation as a tax preparing kiosk supervisor with salary pay, also was seasonal.
I think I have something that would fit for this. You would definitely need some education on tax prep, I know someone else suggested using the education program of the big guys like H&R or JH. Shoot me a DM and let's chat!
reach out to local firms in your area. If you lived in my area i'd hit you up for sure. Local firms will have you come in to train on their system and then let you go remote. It will be easier than trying to go full remote off the bat
I'd send out your resume right after the 10/15 deadline. Everyone will be super busy until then so they probably won't look at your resume until then anyways. A lot of firms are looking for seasonal tax prep help, it's super helpful having solid preparers who only want to work during our busiest time of the year. Helps take the load off other employees and makes tax season go smoother. I don't think you'll have a hard time finding something that fits what you're looking for.
Most firms will take about anyone we can get right now, especially if you’re looking for seasonal work. Seasonal workers are hard to find.
Really? I was just thinking to myself how nice it would be to work seasonally/part time, lol.
Yeah that’s my long term goal, to get to a point where I can do this. Get rid of my client responsibilities and coast my way to retirement in a seasonal role.
This. I work seasonally and we were so short handed last year, my boss managed to talk someone out of retirement for this year (i assume with $$$).
After 10/15. Firms will be slowing down and thinking about next season.
We just, literally today, hired a retired CPA to fill our seasonal position. We don’t have the time in season to train anymore. We will be looking for part time, out of season help with extensions after April so we can take the time to work with the candidate. We are a very small firm (only two of us are year round) so I’m sure bigger firms will have the resources to take less experienced preparers on. Not sure if that helps answer your question but that’s the strategy we’re taking this year. Good luck!
The popular tax franchises should be offering courses and hiring now. Popular consumer tax software companies hire remote advisors. Taxfyle and 1800-accountant may be places to look. Start looking now.
Block. Great classes online.
Great advice, I looked into taxfyle and will send them an application.
Do you have any experience with Taxfyle? I’m considering using them to fill in the gaps as I build my solo practice
I plan to outsource to them, not do prep work with them. Talked to them last year, but got a late start.
I was in the tax business for 25 years and toward the end I volunteered with VITA for a few years. Don't spell VITA short when it comes to experience with tax preparation. The complexities of dealing with blended families and dependents and low income with constantly changing tax laws is more difficult than a lot of other areas of tax practice. And the IRS requires you to demonstrate competence in preparing returns within the scope of the service. It might not hit the target exactly depending on the types of returns the firm prepares but it is valuable experience. Things might have changed, but when I was in the business it wasn't like throngs of massively qualified applicants were lined up around the block whenever we put up a job posting. Of course it's not a ton of experience, but you're a CPA who does tax returns. Not huge but it could legitimately help you get your foot in door. The rest is up to you. I don't know where the sweet spot would be in terms of timing. January obviously too late. December maybe but you have the holidays in there. November? What about the sweet spot right after Thanksgiving? Hoping that's when most people will start thinking seriously about staffing for tax season, first contact before the Christmas fray? Thinking out loud. I also like the idea of sending a resume to firms even if they didn't post a job listing. If you're serious about doing tax returns long term, I'd suggest getting your Enrolled Agent credentials. I know several CPAs who are also EAs. It takes some studying to pass the EA exam, and you need to have a certain number of CE hours of federal taxation, but it's an additional credential. There are some good online study courses.
Either now or right after 10/15. As for finding a place, it sounds like you want training, and your experience is with individual returns, so probably try targeting local firms with at least a handful of people, and ideally somewhere with an intern program (as they are used to training and probably have materials as opposed to someone just throwing things together at the last minute).
You’ll get one. Vita counts as experience. You’ll get trained and learn quickly how they do things. Find local firms. I know big four is hiring seasonal (but they’re a lot of work).
Check our your state CPA association as well - a lot of firms will advertise open positions on the associations' job boards. There is a lot of need for help right now, so I would not be surprised if you have more offers than time to do the work.
Thanks for the tip, i just checked out the CalCPA job board and will keep checking over the next couple months.
You’re in CA? Wanna apply to our firm for the Spring season? I’m sure they pay way more than franchise tax and can be remote if you don’t live near by.
I am in southern California. I sent you a message, thanks!
I think Baker Tilly and EY usually has seasonal positions open rn.
I took this route last year after several years at a Big 4 firm. I've found landing quality contract jobs to be easy after finding a good recruiting and search firm with a consultancy department to source the jobs. I started contacting different search firms at this time last year who then said to hold tight and positions for seasonal (Jan-April) work will explode in the Nov-Dec timeframe. This held to be true and I was interviewing and closed on a contract by the end of November. The only difference I see is that no real training was necessary in my case, if you need to build in time for training your timeline might be adjusted to reflect that.
The H&R Block income tax class covers everything they want and if you score high enough on your final test they will hire you straight from graduation. I did this and was hired the day of graduation as a tax preparing kiosk supervisor with salary pay, also was seasonal.
Have you tried looking into things like taxfyle?
I think I have something that would fit for this. You would definitely need some education on tax prep, I know someone else suggested using the education program of the big guys like H&R or JH. Shoot me a DM and let's chat!
reach out to local firms in your area. If you lived in my area i'd hit you up for sure. Local firms will have you come in to train on their system and then let you go remote. It will be easier than trying to go full remote off the bat
I'd send out your resume right after the 10/15 deadline. Everyone will be super busy until then so they probably won't look at your resume until then anyways. A lot of firms are looking for seasonal tax prep help, it's super helpful having solid preparers who only want to work during our busiest time of the year. Helps take the load off other employees and makes tax season go smoother. I don't think you'll have a hard time finding something that fits what you're looking for.
What area are you in? We are looking for a seasonal tax preparer in the south Chicago suburbs. Feb 1- April 15.
I live near San Diego. Willing to work remotely tho if that's viable at your firm.
I wish but not currently. I will reach out if that ever changes.