Will AI replace tax preparers?

Unlikely, though parts of the work are changing. About 1h 28m of an 8-hour shift goes to tasks touched by AI that people use as a helper. The breakdown: 56m done by people with AI help, 32m that AI mostly does alone. The other 6h 32m (82%) stays with people. Separately, BLS expects about 4.7% more of these jobs by 2035 (all jobs: +3.5%).

AI shows up regularly in 4 of 12 tasks, about 1h 28m of a typical shift. The biggest ones:

• Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures. (32m a shift, AI mostly does it alone)
• Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion. (32m a shift, people use AI to help)
• Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies. (16m a shift, people use AI to help)
• Schedule appointments with clients. (8m a shift, people use AI to help)

6h 32m of a typical shift, or 82%, goes to tasks with no AI or robot evidence yet. No AI usage or robot deployment has shown up for these so far. The biggest:

• Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables. (1h 28m a shift)
• Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses. (1h 28m a shift)
• Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances. (1h 4m a shift)
• Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns. (56m a shift)
• Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum. (48m a shift)

Much of it comes down to where and how the work happens. In-person, hands-on and high-stakes work is where AI and robots have made the least headway so far. In the official O*NET survey of people in this job:

• 67% say dealing with the public is very or extremely important
• 55% talk face to face with others every day

For the 4 tasks in this job where AI shows up and timing data exists, a typical request takes about 2h 32m for a person alone and about 35m with AI. These are Claude's own estimates from real conversations in April and May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index). They describe single requests, not whole workdays, and time saved on a task doesn't mean jobs are cut. The biggest gaps:

• Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures (about 2h 49m alone, 19m with AI)
• Schedule appointments with clients (about 2h 38m alone, 42m with AI)
• Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion (about 2h 25m alone, 47m with AI)

On Indeed, job postings in the Accounting sector are at 105% of their February 2020 level (all U.S. postings: 104%), down 5.9% from a year earlier, as of Oct 9, 2026. BLS separately expects about 9,400 openings a year in this job through 2035. Across all U.S. postings, 7.3% now mention AI skills. Sector postings cover more than this one job and move for many reasons besides AI.

The median pay is about $54,920 a year ($26.40 an hour), 8% above the median for all U.S. jobs ($50,980). Most people in this job earn between $33,760 and $99,270 a year; that range covers the middle 80%. Pay figures are from BLS, May 2025, and vary a lot by state and employer. Pick a state to compare:

BLS projects growth of 4.7% from 2025 to 2035, compared with 3.5% growth for all jobs. That's about 100,000 jobs in 2035. It expects about 9,400 openings a year, mostly from people retiring or changing careers. These projections don't single out AI as a cause.

About 76,000 people in the U.S., roughly 0.05% of all workers (BLS, May 2025). That makes it the 312th largest of the 796 jobs on this site. BLS expects about 100,000 in 2035.

The most common requirement is a high school diploma: about 38% of people in the job said so in the official O*NET survey. O*NET rates the job at level 3 of 5 for preparation, which usually means: vocational school or associate's degree. Requirements vary by state and employer, especially for licensed work.

These come from the job's official skill ratings and from the tasks that AI and robots touch least today. Building them keeps you strong in the parts of the work that still need a person:

• Skills that matter more here than in most jobs: Reading Comprehension, Mathematics, Active Listening, Service Orientation
• Get strong at the parts of the job that stay with people (listed above), which take 6h 32m of a typical shift
• Tools employers list: Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Office software, Microsoft Excel, Intuit QuickBooks, Microsoft Access
• Learn to use AI well on the tasks where it already shows up in this job (listed above)

These use similar skills, with less of a typical shift touched by AI or robots. Matches come from 109 official ratings of skills, knowledge and work activities, and each needs the same or less preparation unless the official list relates the jobs directly:

• Tax Examiners and Collectors, and Revenue Agents (25m touched, $62k median pay)
• Budget Analysts (54m touched, $92k median pay)

Each task carries its own evidence label. For this job: 4 observed in real AI use, 8 with no AI or robot evidence found. The minutes per task are estimates, not measured hours, and "no evidence" doesn't prove a task is safe.