Tax Associate Interview Questions & Answers

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Tax Associates are entry-level tax specialists who prepare tax returns for companies, partnerships, and individuals, and ensure their clients comply with state and federal tax regulations.

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

Tax Associate Interview Questions

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

1. What type of information is necessary to complete a tax return?
2. What strategies would you use to lower our organization’s tax liability?
3. Suppose the FIRS (or the state inland revenue service) decides to audit our organization. What process would you take to handle this situation?
4. Tell us about the most challenging accounting problem you’ve ever faced. What was the outcome?
5. Have you ever had to deal with an angry client?
6. How would you explain accrual to someone with no background in finance?
7. Can you describe some of the tax research projects you have completed?
8. Do you have experience preparing tax returns for high-net-worth individuals?
9. There is a new tax law that impacts your client’s tax return. What would you do?
10. What accounting and tax preparation software have you worked with?
11. When would you recommend a tax refund anticipation loan to a client?
12. Tell us about a time when you had to meet a tight deadline with your work.
13. Imagine that your supervisor asks you to complete a task using accounting software you’ve never used before. How would you go about this?
14. What do you think is the most important skill for a tax associate to have?
15. What tax reduction strategies do you use?
16. Can you tell us more about your experience in the field of accounting and taxes?
17. What are your greatest strengths as a tax associate?
18. How do you imagine a typical day in a work of a Tax Associate here?
19. Which tax forms are most important to complete first when preparing a tax return?
20. If a client asks you a question you don’t know the answer to, how would you handle it?
21. How do you ensure you make not mistakes in your work?
22. What would you do if you noticed a mistake you made on a client’s tax return after it was filed?
23. How often do you recommend clients renew their tax returns?
24. A client calls and complains about the service they got from the company. How will you react?
25. Describe your process for reviewing a tax return before sending it to the FIRS.
26. Tell me about the most difficult accounting (taxation) problem you solved.
27. What makes you stand out from other tax associates?

Tax Associate 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 Associate 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?

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