Tax Accountant Interview Questions & Answers


A Tax Accountant is responsible for assisting clients and companies with their financial and income tax statements. These qualified professionals research, study and interpret tax law. Their work includes preparing payments, identifying tax savings, and analyzing tax issues.

Whether you're a job seeker preparing to be interviewed for the role of Tax Accountant or an employer preparing to interview candidates for Tax Accountant position, these Tax Accountant interview questions will help you prepare yourself for the job interview session.

Tax Accountant Interview Questions

Below are a list of some skill-based Tax Accountant interview questions.

  1. What information would you use to create a forecasting report for next year’s tax returns?
  2. How do you stay on top of tax regulatory changes?
  3. How well do you understand the accounting software we use in the company?
  4. What accounting software are you familiar with?
  5. There is a discrepancy in the accounts and you suspect an employee may be embezzling funds. What is your next step?
  6. What monthly and annual reports do you create?
  7. How often do you recommend that companies perform internal audits?
  8. What process do you use to create monthly, quarterly, and annual reports?
  9. How do you avoid numerical errors in your reports?
  10. Describe your experience with tax compliance.
  11. What attracted you to tax accounting versus other fields, like forensic or auditing?
  12. How do you keep up-to-date on global economic issues?
  13. Describe a time you saved your client/employer money.
  14. Which accounting processes do you enjoy the most?
  15. Are you aware of and comfortable with the additional expectations of ‘tax season’?
  16. Do you have any experience working with auditors? If so, describe your experience.
  17. You thought the deadline for tax payment submission was in a month, but it’s actually in a week. How would you handle this?
  18. How would you inform your manager that your company needs to pay a fine because you weren’t aware of a regulatory change?
  19. Have you ever faced an ethical dilemma at work? If so, how did you manage it?
  20. What aspect of tax accounting do you find most enjoyable? What aspect do you enjoy least?
  21. When preparing financial statements, what is the most common method of estimating unrecorded liabilities?
  22. What is a deferred tax liability, and how do you account for it?
  23. Do you have experience working with international tax laws?
  24. What is your experience with preparing tax returns for high-profile clients?
  25. What would you do if you noticed a discrepancy in the company’s financial records?

Tax Accountant Interview Questions and Answers

Every interview is different and the questions may vary. However, there are lots of general questions that get asked at every interview.

Below are some common questions you'd expect during Tax Accountant interviews. Click on each question to see how to answer them.

  1. Why Do You Want To Leave Your Current Job?
  2. What is Your Greatest Strength?
  3. Tell Me About Yourself
  4. Why Do You Want This Job?
  5. Are You a Leader or a Follower?
  6. What Is Your Greatest Accomplishment?
  7. What is Your Salary Expectation?
  8. Do You Have Any Questions for Us?
  9. Why Should We Hire You?
  10. What is Your Greatest Weakness?