tax preparer

entry level tax preparer

client services associate

customer service representative

customer service/data entry

Jackson Hewitt

I was really excited for this job, but was quickly disappointed. While they do offer a near-endless library of classes and reference materials, most of training is on your own via video or reading materials provided by the company. They do have an area where employees from across the company can interact and ask/answer questions or receive support. However, this is about the only person-to-person training there is. One thing that seriously lacked across all training platforms within the company was training on state tax returns, which brings me to my biggest issue.
I was hired to work a specific location only to be told at the last minute I was being reassigned to a location 3x the distance from my house, which was also in another state. I received no actual training related to doing state returns and had no idea how to answer some of the questions people were asking. I did my best to seek out the answers and familiarize myself with the other state's tax law, but that was difficult considering there were no training materials provided and the state's Dept. of Revenue website was not easy to maneuver. Additionally, I voiced my concern over the additional distance, and simply received an apology and the offer for a pay raise, but only if I worked full time (I had another job I was trying to juggle and wasn't sure I wanted to do this job full time, which I vocalized). While I did receive a $1 raise, that wasn't enough to offset the additional mileage and travel time, and it didn't show up until several weeks after I had the conversation, and after I had already been paid my regular wage for 2 pay periods. When I put in my resignation, I was told I might be able to get an additional dollar or two, but I had already done the math and even that wouldn't have made up the difference.
A had a few other issues as well. First off, some of the training is in-person, but they didn't have an office close to me, so I ended up driving 45 minutes one way, only to be treated like a nuisance. The person who was supposed to be training me was trying to juggle a few other things and I feel like I was brushed off. I didn't leave feeling any more confident than when I went in. I also then, in turn, ended up training one of my coworkers my first two days in the field because she wasn't able to make it to the main office. As a new employee myself, I didn't feel like I was in the position to train someone, but no one else was available.
My other major issue was that, as an employee working at a kiosk inside a Walmart, I had other responsibilities, such as networking with Walmart employees and customers. However, I never received any kind of formal training on what this looked like. There were a few videos and reference materials, but they didn't really explain much. There were also supposed to be cards/info to hand out, but I never received those.
Finally, the bonus. They make it sound really great by having a bonus opportunity. It sounds wonderful on paper, but once you actually do the math, it's really only great for those people working in busier areas. Being in a more rural area, the amount I "could" have made as a bonus was miniscule compared to what those working in storefronts or kiosks in more urban areas could have made. The bonus is also paid out at the end of the tax season and only if you stay for the entire season. I also had multiple previous clients tell me they were unhappy with their return the previous year because the tax preparer had made some pretty major errors, so I knew there was a potential for a large number of previous clients to go through another company, reducing my bonus potential even more if I wasn't able to offset that by bringing in new clients.

My clients are great! 
They come to me stressed out, because they really don't have the time to do this themselves, or they find the whole process intimidating, and I help them destress from the moment they sit down.
I dig into the forms they brought with them, and I take my time, which they value tremendously. They know that I will go out of my way to catch things that can increase their refund, or significantly reduce what they owe. Within 5 minutes of meeting me, they know I have integrity, and I'm there for them. 

Leadership leaves much to be desired. 
From the start, we are encouraged to develop our own book of business, but if you say that one of her favorites is encroaching on your ability to get new clients, then the tables turn, and suddenly your BoB isn't important. 
How dare I interfere with her favorite's book of business?  He happens to be the top performer in the district year after year, so we don't want to interfere with that! 
What they don't know (or don't want to admit) is the significant number of clients who sat at my desk, relieved that her favorite isn't doing their taxes this time, because Mr. Favorite caused them a lot of problems, that I had to untangle. I watched him prepare taxes and he flew through the filing process. It's no wonder  he had the highest filing rate. 
This is why doing our Due Diligence is so important! 
Shortly after I pointed out the encroachment - my schedule got changed. Now instead of working at the location closest to my home, I was sent to two other locations every week.  
The wear and tear on my car during a harsh Maine winter was frustrating, but so was the 45 minute drive in any direction. At one location,  I was expected to answer the phone for the entire district. When I wasn't answering the phone, I was being given the most complex returns, which lowered my filing rate.  Guess who came down on me for not preparing returns fast enough?
Why do people have to mess with someone's livelihood?
Well, I got through the season - much to everyone's chagrin, and with part-time hours, I managed to file over 100 paid returns. 
Needless to say, I wasn't invited back for the '25-'26 season. I called the DM on her manipulative behavior, and I made the mistake of pushing back on behalf of my client.   
Meanwhile, her younger faves made things up about me, while the old guy who floats between two locations, made racist comments in front of my clients! Another employee was being very rude to me, and my client picked up on it!  
All of these shenanigans made my clients very uncomfortable. 
Were any of these employees disciplined? 
No, but I was! 
Frankly, I will own what's mine, but if you bring me a write up with 8 things on it, and I'm responsible for only one of them, I'm going to speak up and defend myself, because I have a backbone (that the DM tried to break).
The only thing that bummed me out not being invited back was how much I would miss the relationships I built with my clients. 
The DM could care less, because there will always  be someone to fill my shoes.

A typical day at work for me was non stop. I had alot on my plate and was willing to take more if needed. I learned some computer programs that I had never delt with before. I learned how to take on tasks that were being neglected and single handedly created a billing system for our payroll and bookkeeping clients. Some of which were not billed for months. I did all the research to collect funds from NSF checks, which was never turned into the magistrate before I started working there. When the owners father passed the owner and his spouse became difficult to work with. I got along with all of the seasonal employees wonderfully. The year round employees, I got along with all but one, type of person who had to have all the attention all the time. Took things too personally and brought so many stories from outside the business that had nothing to do with work and was very tempermental. Had received letters from some of the seasonal employees about how they were being treated by this person. At one time the owner wanted me to try to see how they were treating people on the telephone. I got to the point I would just say Good Morning and when this person felt like it, said it back. The other year round employees I got along with fine. That was probably the hardest part of my job as well. I loved the type of work I was doing. And was very dependable. I scheduled everything after, before or on the weekend if possible. My attendance was fantastic. I wear eyeglasses and have to schedule the appointment during office hours because I have to go to certain doctors because of our insurance. That is another plus with hiring me, I have medical insurance through my husband's company and have never taken on a second insurance. The most enjoyable part of my job was when people who I had done their taxes for years would call me and see if I could fit them in my schedule and I always did that for them. And to help a customer or client because there is a note next to their computer that says from their company owner to ask for me to get answers. What a compliment! Stayed over many times during tax season when the office was extremely busy. Would not leave the office in chaos.

Working with Jackson Hewitt is an Easy and profitable way to grow in many of your soft skills and knowledge of tax laws.  I started out at a Franchise which is different than working corporate.  Opportunities and Benefits may differ depending on the state you work in and/or working for Franchise or Corporate.  As a Franchise in California, you are responsible for purchasing and completing the following...
Background Check
TAX Certification (C-TECH)
Five Year Bond (legal protection for you and the Franchise if you made a mistake)
PTIN (Preparer Tax Identification Number...Annually)
Modules (60 hours at home)
They do pay you for in-office training (3 hours) to get familiar with the software.  They also have a system where each of your returns are checked for errors before the return is sent through the system to the IRS.  Very Helpful for first year preparers.

When I moved to Georgia, I had the privilege to work for Corporate. The requirements were as follows and paid for by the company...
Background Check 
Training Modules (paid training throughout, modules done at home, and in-office training)
Annual updated training for new laws (paid training)
PTIN (reimbursed keep receipt)

A typical day at work, depending on your particular hours, if no clients scheduled or in office, check for drop off returns not started or completed. Check the software rosters for clients who need to be called for documents needed to complete return, calling previous year clients, scheduling clients, appointment reminder calls, passing out flyers if all those things are done and there are no clients, when all those things are done and you still have training modules that need to be completed you can work on those, and if all that is done, go onto any of the resources that are offered to research and sharpen knowledge of tax laws and information to educate your clients.  How much you learn is totally up to you. You can build your clientele base by building relationships with your clients, having great tax knowledge, making your clients feel their business is appreciated, and you did everything you could to give them the best return possible.  Due diligence is vital to protecting yourself from a hefty fine per return that you have incorrectly prepared due to negligence, and possibly suspended or completely banned from the IRS.  




 


Part of the reason I loved working with the local JH is because of the closeness of the ownership managers and employees. The one thing that I am not and was the reason I left to pursue another company position, was there was no real ability to advance. Every one who has been there for years, will still be there for years to come. I also, had no desire to continue to work in a kiosk. They are cold. There is also a specific ban on having blankets, or anything hung as a wind break. Not that taxes are pleasant but when you mix being exceptionally cold, with someone who isnt exactly thrilled to be doing their taxes anyway, on top of looking like you can't move due to the amount of clothing or outer wear one has to have to maintain core temps, it causes impatience in the clientele, and in turn makes for an unneeded stressful exchange.  They are uncomfortable and if the return takes longer than about 30 minutes, they get upset and the colder they get ,the more upset they are. That is not a good way to serve clients or the prepares who work there. Now, there is this big push to seem more organized into a corporation. With there being this non-existent but invisible barrier between the prepares and Tracy and Bart. Who are franchise owners who have been hands on to all their employees from the receptionist to area manager, and was the singular reason there franchise is so successful.  Now they have added a hundred different "titles" with new "managers" and trainers that have taken away from the genuine quality of their company.  As well as a trainer who believes if she cant immediately see where one needs training, she must think on if its law or service that needs to be addressed. Anything other than: they dont need her help, cant be right. The new structure is pretentious and unnecessary.  Sad that the original heart and core of the local franchise is morphing into what makes people break off from the corporate structure in the first place. If I am going to have to work for the corporate structure, I may as well use the franchise I already bought or one that has offices that are climate controlled. Overall, I wish it was like it used to be because that was a special place to work. Now its just silly. 

Good place to work seasonally. If you are good at your job, advancement within the company is easy, sometimes too easy, so management can be terrible. Compensation and bonuses are solely dependent on work location rather than quality of work. A busier office = a higher bonus, creating competition and cattiness between employees. Working hours are very flexible for employees who have families, are in school, or suck up enough, but if not, you're in the office for 10+ hours a day at least 6 days a week (sometimes 7), depending on staffing (usually a struggle - 2 per office). The worst part of the job is that you have a lot of employees not following proper procedure/IRS regulation and hoarding returns/special clients because the customer thinks that preparer can "get them the best return," when in reality, that preparer is just opening the door for audits. This causes trouble for the preparer who works year-round because then they have to clean up the mess. You also have a lot of preparers who don't scan in the documents or take notes like they should, so when the audits come, the company has no documentation to show for the work. 

What prompted me to leave was compensation. I was in a managerial role, and found that my worst employee (never available when you needed them, constantly called in or showed up late, competed with others for returns, didn't follow IRS rules or Jackson Hewitt documentation procedure, complained about her job constantly to other employees) was getting raised to almost $20/hour (what I made as a Manager of 15 stores), while my best employee was being kept at $14/hour (always available, worked 7 days a week, loves her job, follows all procedures to a "T"). This clearly showed that our dedicated, hard-working, reliable employees were not valued.

The most enjoyable part of the job is building rapport and relationships with your clients year to year and helping them with any questions or concerns they have regarding their taxes.

If they contact you about a contract/temp job, don't take it unless you are desperate for work. Operations support is nominally an IT role but you're supposed to help any JH franchisee that contacts you for whatever reason so your job quickly devolves into dealing with whatever people feel like calling in about. Your job is to basically be a human shield to absorb and deflect whatever issue people call/message about, it could be anything. For example, I have never worked in taxation but I was supposed to the best of my ability give the employees of Jackson Hewitt, the people who prepare taxes, advice on how to do their job, how to complete and file various forms and returns. I have no idea how to do that. Is there a knowledge base for me to use? Nope, just Googled it and told the caller what to do, I have no idea if it was right or not. I couldn't escalate or transfer and I was expected to tell this person what to do even though I have no education, experience, skills, or training in U.S. income tax procedures and rules. Again, this was supposed to be desktop IT support. Of course I would get the occasional printer issue but for the most part I was dealing with random issues that I couldn't answer b/c of a lack of a knowledge base, Tier 2/3 support, or training. You're basically a human shield for abuse from the callers and also from any manager. They won't help you, will have an attitude if you ask for help, and will gleefully make an example of anyone who messes up. At the end of my first week my manager made sure to let us know who got fired and why when no one asked, person was in a different office and a full-time employee, guess she (manager) was trying to let us know that we should be very afraid of getting fired from our $13 an hour temp job. All-in-all, never work here if you can help it. The culture is awful, no one who works there cares about the company or about you. Basically, there are a few people who have been there for 10+ years and they bring in temp workers during tax season to handle the fallout from poor software design, lack of any kind of training, no learning resources or knowledge base, minimal high level support, and a terrible attitude. You're just there for a few months to protect the mid-level managers from the results of a poorly run company.

The opportunity for self-training and the training tools are excellent. The environment in the office is excellent. The flexibility to specify what hours one can work is great.

While the self-paced training is excellent, I was left to "fend for myself". There is no onboarding process other than giving one login credentials and pointing to the training modules and testing requirements. You must be proactive in learning how to integrate into the work environment.

(The big surprise for me) When it came down to end of the year reviews, I realized I was nothing more than a number, a statistic. 

I dedicated many hours to helping them fill gaps where they needed tax preparers. I worked the last 10 days of the season with no days off (including Good Friday and Easter). I offered (and was scheduled) to go to whatever location they were lacking man-power. I have a strong work ethic and I have the company and clients best interest in mind when I perform my work. But in the end, I was told that the number of returns I performed and the number of add-on's I sold were not great. This was the first time in my work career that I felt unappreciated and like a statistic. It feels like my personal feedback was tied strictly to the "bottom line" (profits) of the company.  I appreciated the experience I had this tax season. And I gleaned from this experience and will move on.

If I were managing a company, and I felt I had good employees, I'd focus on keeping their knowledge and training them. Think about the cost to JH to "throw me away" after 1 season, than continuing to train me in ways that eventually would bring in more revenue for them in selling add-on services. Wow! How powerful that could be for the company!

Despite the end feeling I got from JH as an employer, I'm most grateful that I had the opportunity to work here. I learned a lot from the self-training, I met a lot of people and I was able to help individuals who really don't like tax season (left a burden for them). 

When I got hired I was expecting to be working in a part-time position 20 to 30 hours a week.  Most of my hours have been 12 a week now as the tax season kicked off and it's supposedly has gotten extremely busy it went down to 8 hours a week. I didn't go into the office for training I trained myself so I went through the actual training. I didn't fit in here because when I got here I found out other people went in for their training and instead of going through the videos they're team leader took the test for them so that they can have no one actually knows what they're doing.  Which creates a very crippling situation for everyone involved only one person supposedly knows what's going on and what I have found out they don't really know how to use the company software very well because of this.  When I asked about other hours I was told to quit I had to write a text directly "I'm not quitting". No one wants to help you it's very cutthroat. You get promises for returns have been here longer than you all have this concept that so every employee you meet and they all getting your way and trying to prevent you from doing your job or understand it. I'm supposed to be training me tell me to do things the wrong way and had to work that out alone I was also just told I could quit or get less hours instead of having my job explain ing to me questions.  You also have to train for free. They don't care about your time or wasting it at all they want you to be on call for 8 hour weeks as well.  I have to say this is an inconsiderate workplace they do not value any employee who learns the system or did the training is a good ol boys club made of women 😂.  

What is the best part of working at the company?
The learning, training, valuable resources available to us to explore and gain the knowledge of about Taxes and Tax Preparation, the topics were all covered  in detail, the help always available and the support was always there , topics discussed by knowledgeable experienced instructors who share their own experiences and insights, who never hesitate to answer any questions and were great teachers that genuinely want to get you ready to confidently  be as  well prepared and educated in tax preparation, ready to work in the office  with all that is involved in the Tax Preparer classes,  they cover all the necessary aspects , show us everything important to know about, what we needed to learn more  or study in the areas we needed to improve upon specifically to help us do our best to serve our clients confidently and professionally, classes are in depth and well taught by the instructor. They make learning  easier and not so overwhemelming when it's gets a bit more complex. By far my favorite place to work with THE best boss , co-workers and my returning clients as a Tax Preparer with Jackson Hewitt. 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
When Tax Season is over and the position is seasonal.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Awesome and supportive. Everyone helped each other , worked well together, got along and were team players that had each other's backs.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Staying busy, answering phones, answering questions, promoting our company and services,scheduling appointments, calling clients, preparing tax returns, processing refunds and loan applications, opening and closing  the office, proper handling/ securing sensitive documents and serving clients  from open to close helping them  with their tax preparation needs.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Tax preparer 2312 salaries reported	$14.42 per hour
Entry level tax preparer 1446 salaries reported	$13.79 per hour
Client services associate 647 salaries reported	$12.02 per hour
Customer service representative 28 salaries reported	$13.30 per hour
Customer service/data entry 56 salaries reported	$13.32 per hour

Working at Jackson Hewitt: Company Overview and Reviews

Jackson Hewitt

Jackson Hewitt Ratings

Popular jobs at Jackson Hewitt

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected