Top 12 Tax Accountant Skills to Put on Your Resume
In the highly competitive field of tax accounting, standing out to potential employers requires a carefully crafted resume highlighting your most valuable skills. This article outlines the top 12 tax accountant skills that can make your application shine, ensuring you capture the attention of hiring managers in this specialized area of finance.
Tax Accountant Skills
1. QuickBooks
QuickBooks is accounting software used to manage bookkeeping, payroll, invoicing, and tax-ready financial records for businesses. It helps tax accountants keep clean ledgers, reconcile accounts, and prep data for filings with minimal friction.
Why It's Important
QuickBooks streamlines record-keeping and reporting, reduces manual errors, and speeds up tax preparation. Clean data in, accurate returns out.
How to Improve QuickBooks Skills
To sharpen your QuickBooks proficiency, try the following:
Master bank feeds and rules: Automate categorization, reconcile often, and keep statements matched monthly.
Customize the chart of accounts: Align accounts to tax lines and client industry nuances to make tax mapping painless.
Build tailored reports: Save custom P&L, balance sheet, and transaction detail reports that mirror your review workflow.
Use connected apps wisely: Tools like Receipt Bank/Dext or Hubdoc reduce data entry and preserve audit trails.
Leverage QuickBooks Online Accountant: Centralize client access, track tasks, and standardize workflows.
Close periods: Lock prior months, use closing dates, and require passwords to protect finalized data.
Stay current: Update regularly and review new features around 1099s, sales tax, and payroll compliance each year.
How to Display QuickBooks Skills on Your Resume
2. Excel
Excel is a spreadsheet tool for organizing, analyzing, and modeling financial data. Tax accountants depend on it for reconciliations, workpapers, and calculated schedules.
Why It's Important
It enables fast analysis, repeatable calculations, and transparent audit trails, all of which help produce accurate, well-supported returns.
How to Improve Excel Skills
Focus on features that cut through messy data and repetitive work:
Advanced formulas: Get fluent with INDEX/MATCH/XMATCH, XLOOKUP, SUMIFS, TEXT functions, and dynamic arrays.
Pivot Tables and Power Query: Summarize big datasets and transform imports without manual cleanup.
Error control: Data Validation, Conditional Formatting, and formula auditing keep workpapers tidy and consistent.
Macros and Office Scripts: Automate repetitive steps; store standardized procedures in templates.
Structured workpapers: Use named ranges, clear tabs, versioning, and documentation notes for review-ready files.
Charts and reporting: Turn variance checks and period-to-period changes into quick visuals for reviews.
How to Display Excel Skills on Your Resume
3. TurboTax
TurboTax is tax preparation software that guides users through returns and e-filing. Some firms use it for simpler individual returns or review work.
Why It's Important
It standardizes data intake, applies current rules, and flags issues, helping you prepare accurate returns quickly.
How to Improve TurboTax Skills
Build confidence with hands-on, repeatable steps:
Work through sample scenarios: Practice complex areas like stock basis, K-1 imports, HSAs, and rental activities.
Use organizers and checklists: Create repeatable client intake flows to reduce missing data and follow-ups.
Explore forms mode: Learn where calculations land on forms to verify results and troubleshoot overrides.
Document review points: Create a review checklist for credits, phaseouts, NIIT, AMT, and state differences.
Template common letters: Draft standard client explanations for refunds, balances due, and payment vouchers.
Stay current: Track annual tax law changes and update your workflow before busy season.
How to Display TurboTax Skills on Your Resume
4. SAP
SAP is an enterprise resource planning platform integrating finance, supply chain, and more. For tax accountants, it offers tax calculation, compliance support, and robust reporting with strong audit trails.
Why It's Important
It centralizes data, automates postings, and supports accurate indirect and direct tax reporting across large, complex entities.
How to Improve SAP Skills
Blend system knowledge with process awareness:
Know the finance core: Deepen skills in General Ledger, AP/AR, asset accounting, and tax codes.
Explore SAP Fiori: Use role-based apps to speed approvals, reconciliations, and period close tasks.
Understand tax configuration: Learn how tax codes, condition records, and jurisdiction mappings drive results.
Automate and validate: Set up workflow approvals and automated checks for common data issues.
Learn S/4HANA reporting: Use real-time analytics and embedded reports for close and provision work.
Document processes: Maintain SOPs for close, provision, and return-to-provision steps.
How to Display SAP Skills on Your Resume
5. Oracle
Oracle provides databases and cloud ERP/EPM applications used for financials, reporting, and tax processes, including tax provisioning and forecasting.
Why It's Important
It handles large-scale financial data securely, supports complex consolidations, and enables accurate, compliant reporting.
How to Improve Oracle Skills
Target the areas that move the needle:
Oracle Financials fundamentals: Learn ledgers, subledgers, tax rules, and reporting catalogs.
Tax Reporting/EPM: Practice tax provision, deferreds, and effective tax rate analysis within the toolset.
SQL basics: Pull and validate data directly for reconciliations and audit support.
Automations: Build schedules and integrations that reduce manual imports and month-end scramble.
Controls and security: Understand roles, segregation of duties, and workflow approvals.
How to Display Oracle Skills on Your Resume
6. TaxAct
TaxAct is tax preparation software for individuals and professionals, supporting federal and state returns with e-file and planning tools.
Why It's Important
It streamlines preparation, provides diagnostics, and helps maximize accuracy and efficiency across common tax scenarios.
How to Improve TaxAct Skills
Make your workflow crisp and dependable:
Build import routines: Standardize document intake and data imports to limit manual entry.
Master diagnostics: Learn how to resolve every warning and create a personal checklist for recurring flags.
Use templates: Save organizer letters, engagement terms, and delivery notes for consistency.
Expand state knowledge: Practice multi-state scenarios, credits, and reciprocity rules.
Strengthen security: Enforce MFA, encrypted storage, and clear user permissions.
Stay updated: Review annual changes ahead of busy season; test on prior-year files.
How to Display TaxAct Skills on Your Resume
7. H&R Block
H&R Block is a global tax services firm with software and in-person preparation, known for standardized intake and review processes.
Why It's Important
For tax accountants, it represents structured training, large-volume preparation experience, and a clear framework for client service.
How to Improve H&R Block Skills
Elevate both speed and accuracy:
Complete training paths: Stay current on annual updates, new credits, and compliance requirements.
Practice interview technique: Use probing questions and checklists to surface missed income and deductions.
Refine review steps: Establish a second set of eyes for tricky items like basis, K-1s, and state addbacks.
Leverage client portal: Encourage digital document exchange to reduce bottlenecks.
Build niche expertise: Focus on freelancers, retirees, investors, or small businesses to deepen value.
How to Display H&R Block Skills on Your Resume
8. Lacerte
Lacerte is professional tax software built for high-volume firms and complex returns, with powerful calculations and review tools.
Why It's Important
It trims preparation time, improves accuracy, and supports deep compliance needs for individuals, partnerships, S corps, C corps, trusts, and more.
How to Improve Lacerte Skills
Dial in features that speed reviews and reduce rework:
Master data import: Use organizers, trial balance imports, and K-1 flows to limit manual keying.
Customize input views: Rearrange input screens and favorites to match your typical return patterns.
Exploit diagnostics: Track down root causes, not just silence warnings. Build a recurring fix list.
Integrate e-sign and document tools: Streamline delivery, signature, and archiving in one workflow.
Standardize checklists: Create entity-specific review steps for federal and state variations.
Keep current: Update early and test with prior-year files before go-live.
How to Display Lacerte Skills on Your Resume
9. ProSystem fx
ProSystem fx is a comprehensive professional tax suite supporting compliance, planning, and workflow for firms handling complex returns.
Why It's Important
It enables consistent preparation, thorough diagnostics, and streamlined collaboration across teams and entities.
How to Improve ProSystem fx Skills
Make the system work for you, not the other way around:
Update routinely: Apply updates before deadlines to capture form and calculation changes.
Use training and sandboxes: Practice difficult scenarios and new features on non-production files.
Template everything: Standard letters, binder structures, and checklist templates save hours.
Integrate adjacent tools: Connect document management, e-sign, and workflow tracking to reduce switching.
Tighten permissions: Set roles and approvals to protect sensitive returns and maintain clean audit trails.
How to Display ProSystem fx Skills on Your Resume
10. Drake Software
Drake Software is a professional tax platform known for speed, value, and breadth of supported forms for individuals and businesses.
Why It's Important
It helps preparers move quickly through returns while maintaining accuracy and strong e-file handling.
How to Improve Drake Software Skills
Polish the essentials and push efficiency:
Learn keyboard shortcuts: Reduce clicks and move through data entry faster.
Tune settings: Customize preparer defaults, print sets, and delivery options to your firm’s standards.
Use practice data: Rehearse multi-state, depreciation, and basis tracking scenarios.
Lean on diagnostics: Resolve every warning; add recurring fixes to your prep checklist.
Secure your environment: Enforce MFA, encrypt backups, and schedule updates outside peak hours.
How to Display Drake Software Skills on Your Resume
11. Xero
Xero is cloud accounting software for small and mid-sized businesses, offering invoicing, bank reconciliation, expense tracking, and tax-ready reporting.
Why It's Important
It keeps books current, supports collaboration with clients, and feeds clean data into tax prep.
How to Improve Xero Skills
Work smarter with strong foundations:
Automate the routine: Set bank rules, repeating invoices, and scheduled journals.
Use the tax tools: Configure sales tax, reconcile filings, and track payment obligations.
Integrate apps: Connect expense, inventory, and reporting apps to reduce manual work.
Customize reports: Build management and tax-prep reports that mirror your review process.
Collaborate in real time: Share access with clients and teammates; leave notes right where issues occur.
How to Display Xero Skills on Your Resume
12. CCH Axcess
CCH Axcess is a cloud-based suite for tax professionals that unifies preparation, compliance, workflow, documents, and client portals.
Why It's Important
It centralizes work, enhances collaboration, and tightens controls, all while keeping data accessible and secure.
How to Improve CCH Axcess Skills
Refine your setup and habits:
Personalize dashboards: Surface your critical tasks, e-file statuses, and review queues.
Automate checks: Use built-in review tools and validations to catch issues early.
Standardize folders and binders: Create consistent structures for documents and workpapers.
Use portals fully: Move client intake, signatures, and delivery into secure channels.
Harden security: Enforce MFA, restrict roles, and document access policies.
Iterate continuously: After each busy season, refine templates, checklists, and workflows.
How to Display CCH Axcess Skills on Your Resume
