Income Tax Preparation Career Pathway Certificate

Less-Than-One-Year Certificate of Completion

The Income Tax Career Pathway Certificate (15 credits) was created to give students the basic knowledge needed to succeed in any apprenticeship-level job for preparing personal income taxes. This less-than-one-year certificate gives the student basic bookkeeping knowledge, payroll knowledge, and the required 80-hour basic tax course to sit for the tax preparer exam. Per Oregon’s Board of Tax Practitioners website, any person preparing personal income tax returns for a fee or representing that they do so must be licensed by the Oregon State Board of Tax Practitioners. That person must be at least 18 years of age and have either a high school diploma or a GED.

Program objectives for this certificate are intended to prepare students to successfully pass the state required exam for licensure and to prepare the students for successful employment in the field of taxation.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, students will be able to:

• Apply accounting methods, tools, and concepts in an ethical and legal manner.
• Analyze accounting information using industry standards, generally accepted accounting principles, or international financial reporting standards.
• Use accounting technology and equipment in proper form.
• Develop appropriately formatted accounting reports for both internal and external users.
• Identify internal control issues in accounting policies and procedures.