6. Tax Expert
Help the average American taxpayer prepare forms and handle audits.
Why Now?
With the IRS increasing its audits of individuals and small businesses in recent years, taxpayers need specialized help. According to IRS data, the number of individual "sit-down" audits jumped nearly 23 percent from 2005 to 2006, and audits of small businesses more than doubled from 2004 to 2006. For taxpayers who want help, the IRS authorizes what it calls enrolled agents. The agents can be less expensive than an accountant or lawyer. They have specific training and can get access to taxpayer files and other IRS information.
Getting In
Mary Fran McCluskey, 58, of San Rafael, California, is a former graphic artist. She studied business, then paid $700 to take an online prep course, before taking the IRS's rigorous licensing exam, which requires hundreds of hours of study.
Pay and Perks
Agents charge by the tax form, case, or hour, with rates ranging from $50 to $400 per hour, according to Eva Rosenberg, a California-based agent who also trains people to pass the exam. But the flexibility is the real draw for many agents. "You control your hours and choose your clients and area of specialty," Rosenberg says. McCluskey expects to get her license this spring and plans to work from her home in the Bay Area, from a vacation house, and from Europe, where her daughter is studying.
Must Love
Numbers.
To Find Out More
National Association of Enrolled Agents
