Title: Financial Planner/Tax Preparer
Salary: $35,000 per tax season (3 months of crazy work) / financial planning can vary drastically, but roughly $75,000 for me
Education: BA in accounting/taxation, Masters in Finance
Designations: CFP (certified financial planner), EA (enrolled agent with the IRS)
Experience: 5 years
To prepare taxes, depending on what state you are in you will need to have a license. Some go for their CPA, its not required tho, if all you want to do is prepare taxes the CPA is alot of information you will never use. A lot of people become an Enrolled Agent, which is basically just the income taxation portion of the CPA exam.
Its 2 jobs really but I blend it into one. Tax season is only 3 months of crazy work, there are a few months of prep involved to prepare all of the clients tax packets before they are mailed out. Financial planning is year round. The college is not required for either of these fields, but if you dont have a degree you will most likely have to start out selling highly commissionable products, which really sucks. I would have never got in this business if I had to sell products like some do. To do it right, you have to at least get a college degree, and go for the CFP or the ChFC. Its a great career, you get to help alot of people.