Are tax professionals who speak another language more valuable to tax offices than those only able to speak English? Yes! They absolutely are more valuable. Can you fluently read, write, and speak American English? Do you also speak another language fluently?
You may immediately be valuable to tax businesses depending on your linguistic abilities. There are certain ethnic communities where people may prefer to speak about their sensitive financial matters in a language other than English.
So, what am I talking about? Being bilingual is extremely valuable. Take advantage of your skill.
Say you live in Southern California. And let’s make the city of your home Los Angeles. You will be sought after for work if you are fluent with American English and can also speak Spanish fluently. So why not become a bilingual tax professional and work in an industry with unlimited earning potential?
Get Paid Better for Your Abilities
I am not talking about leading you to a job at McDonald’s where there is little chance of anyone receiving an acceptable living wage. Use your ability to make a healthy living as a bilingual tax professional. You can become a tax preparer, tax consultant, maybe even over time a tax advisor.
Becoming a tax professional who can “speak taxes” in multiple languages is a great idea if you’re looking for high earning opportunities. Everyone must file their tax returns. Why not be the person receiving those fees rather than the taxpayer shelling-out $300 to $750 for a set of tax returns.
Taxpayers who do not speak conversational American English deserve to be assisted by someone who speaks their language. That person may as well be you!
Become a Bilingual Tax Professional
In Los Angeles you would need to become what’s referred to as a CTEC registered tax preparer (CRTP) to work as a tax preparer . Becoming a CTEC simply means that you have met the minimum education requirements required by the California Tax Education Council to work as a tax preparer.
You do not need a college degree! In fact, even a high school diploma is not required. The reality is, if you are bilingual and learn all of the information in the California legally required basic income tax 60-hour CTEC course, you can get yourself prepared quickly to begin working in a tax office.
If I were hiring for my own practice in the Los Angeles area, this is how it would go. I would prefer the bilingual person who has completed the 60-Hour CTEC Course over a person newly graduated from a university who only speaks English. Preparing tax returns can be taught to anyone. However, the ability to communicate so our clients are content or even happy is absolutely priceless.
Many people new to our nation are more comfortable conducting important business with folks who are from the same place or speak the same language. It’s human nature. Those in-charge of hiring for tax offices are very aware of how valuable a bilingual tax professional truly can be.
You Will Be Appreciated
Every tax office has an annual budget for the number of tax preparer hours they estimate will be necessary. Those available hours are primarily given to tax preparers who most efficiently and profitably serve clients. In many areas that means bilingual tax professionals are the priority.
Tax preparers who are at least able to communicate clearly get whatever hours are left in the budget. There are folks from all over the world in the Los Angeles area. That screams opportunity for most bilingual folks!
Ideally, in the LA area a tax preparer should be fluent in American English, Spanish, and whatever 3rd language is used regularly in the near vicinity of your office. So, if I were looking to open an office in the Chinatown area of Los Angeles, I would want my tax preparers to all be able to speak Chinese and English. Ideally, each tax preparer would be able to speak a third language like Spanish. Like I said, it all depends on the part of town in which you are working.
Become a tax preparer to enjoy a career without limitations no matter what your background.
Download a Free eBook Describing How to Become a Tax Professional
I am providing a link to a book written by Third Generation Tax Professional Andy Frye. He is an Enrolled Agent certified by the Internal Revenue Service. Download the free eBook here. This eBook describes how to begin a career as a tax preparer and the two most common paths to employment for a new tax preparer.
