Keep up with news and developments in the tax field by regularly visiting the Web sites of professional associations, reading their publications, research, and blogs. For example, the National Association of Tax Professionals has a Tax Knowledge Center, with federal tax information and government news: https://www.natptax.com/TaxKnowledgeCenter. The National Society of Tax Professionals has a blog that features articles covering a variety of tax-related topics: https://www.nstp.org/blog.

A good way to gain insights into the tax management field is through an internship or part-time job in a tax planning and tax management company. Search for opportunities on the Web sites of companies that interest you. School career services offices can also help with locating internship and part-time opportunities. Professional associations and sites such as Indeed, LinkedIn, and SimplyHired, to name just a few, also post part-time and full-time employment openings in tax planning and management companies. An informational interview with a tax manager is another great way to learn more about what this job entails. Prepare a list of questions beforehand. Ask your schools career services office for help with setting up an interview with a tax manager whos interested in talking about their work with students.

Tax managers help clients manage their taxes and strategize ways that can assist them in reducing their tax liabilities. They may work for large corporations as in-house tax managers. Others work as independent consultants. They provide tax management services for companies as well as for individuals. Most tax managers bring years of experience in financial management and accounting to this senior-level role. In fact, many states require tax managers to be licensed as Certified Public Accountants.

A top responsibility of tax managers is to ensure that companies and individuals are reporting their taxes in accordance with federal, state, and local tax laws and regulations. Depending on the client and the company, tax managers may also be required to ensure compliancy with international tax laws and regulations. They may prepare tax documents for clients themselves or the preparation of tax and government documents by a team of tax accountants, preparers, and other practitioners. Tax managers work closely with other senior managers to identify their clients tax issues and develop solutions to help clients achieve their tax goals. They brainstorm strategies and policies that clients can implement in their daily business operations to maintain tax compliancy and maximize their profits.

Tax managers also work closely with staff, reviewing and assessing their work. In smaller companies tax managers may train staff and conduct performance reviews. Tax managers who work as independent consultants must develop and maintain their client base. They may attend industry-related conferences and events to network with potential clients. They also interview and hire staff and manage their business operations. The daily tasks for tax managers, whether full-time at large corporations or independent consultants, usually include writing e-mails, internal and external memos, as well as writing private letter rulings and other documents to submit to the Internal Revenue Service or the U.S. Treasury Department.