Tax Managers

Certification or Licensing

Many states and publicly traded companies mandate that tax managers must have the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation. Some tax managers may secure this designation to advance in their careers and have more employment options. A bachelor's degree is required to apply for the CPA exam. The CPA designation is given to those who pass a national exam and meet other state requirements for the state in which tax managers plan to work. CPA candidates must also have completed 150 semester hours of classwork, which is 30 hours more than the normal four years of college, to become licensed. Some schools offer five-year degree programs to meet this 150-hour requirement. In some states, practical work experience is allowed to substitute for the extra 30 hours of courses. The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants administers the Uniform CPA Examination for all states. Find details on the AICPA's Web site, https://www.aicpa.org.

Tax managers who are Certified Public Accountants must take continuing education courses, including ethics, to maintain their license, as required by all states. Tax managers may also receive the Enrolled Agent credential from the Internal Revenue Service, empowering them to represent taxpayers before the IRS. Tax managers must pass a a suitability check and a three-part test to receive the EA designation.