AI exposure by occupation, O*NET 13-2082.00

Will AI replace Tax Preparers?

Tax Preparers: AI can already handle 10 of 12 tasks; the work mostly needs a standard-tier model.

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Every task, scored

The 12 tasks O*NET 30.3 lists for Tax Preparers, from most to least exposed. 10 reach 60 or more, the level at which AI already handles a task.

Task AI exposure Evidence Model tier Importance
Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required. 80 Estimated Standard 4.0
Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion. 79 Observed Frontier 4.6
Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables. 75 Estimated Standard 4.8
Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum. 75 Estimated Standard 4.7
Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances. 75 Estimated Efficient 4.6
Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses. 75 Estimated Standard 4.5
Schedule appointments with clients. 75 Estimated Efficient 3.8
Review financial records, such as income statements and documentation of expenditures to determine forms needed to prepare tax returns. 65 Estimated Standard 4.5
Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies. 65 Observed Efficient 4.2
Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns. 60 Estimated Standard 4.2
Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients. 50 Estimated Standard 4.2
Check data input or verify totals on forms prepared by others to detect errors in arithmetic, data entry, or procedures. 40 Observed Efficient 4.4

Observed: scored from AI use recorded in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), 3 of 12 tasks. Estimated: scored from the task's O*NET 30.3 work activity, 9 of 12. Importance is O*NET's 1 to 5 rating of how central the task is. Model tier is the lowest tier that can do the task under the published rubric; "No tier" marks hands-on work.

The model tier this role needs

A standard-tier model or lower covers 91% of the role's importance-weighted task work. 100% of the work is something AI can address at some tier.

Efficient, standard and frontier tiers come from the JobRoute model tier reference. The recommended tier is the lowest one that covers 80% of the work AI can address. How the method works.

Wages, employment and outlook

US employment
76,480
Median annual wage
$54,920
Middle half of earners
$38,910 to $76,300
Projected change, 2024 to 2034
+4.5%

Employment and wages: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national. Projection: BLS Employment Projections 2024 to 2034.

Adjacent roles

The occupations that reuse the most of this role's skills, with the usual time to move. These are the first places to look when you plan to redeploy or retrain people in this role.

Skill overlap and transition time from the JobRoute role adjacency graph on O*NET 30.3 skills.

Questions about Tax Preparers and AI

Will AI replace Tax Preparers?

AI already handles 10 of the 12 tasks O*NET lists for this occupation, at a task exposure of 60 or more, and the role's importance-weighted exposure is 68 out of 100. JobRoute scores tasks, not whole jobs, so the score shows how much of the work changes rather than whether the job disappears. BLS projects employment to change by +4.5% from 2024 to 2034.

What is the AI exposure of Tax Preparers?

68 out of 100 on JobRoute's task exposure measure, the importance-weighted average of the role's O*NET task scores. Higher means more of the work is AI-doable today. 3 of the 12 task scores are observed in the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026 release), and the other 9 are estimated from each task's O*NET work activity.

Which Tax Preparers tasks can AI already do?

The tasks with the highest exposure are: Calculate form preparation fees according to return complexity and processing time required; Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion; Compute taxes owed or overpaid, using adding machines or personal computers, and complete entries on forms, following tax form instructions and tax tables. They are three of the 10 tasks that reach 60 or more.

What AI model tier does this role need?

A standard-tier model or lower covers 91% of the role's importance-weighted task work. JobRoute assigns each task the lowest tier that can do it under a published rubric and recommends the lowest tier that covers 80% of the work AI can address.

How many people work as Tax Preparers, and what do they earn?

76,480 people in the United States, with a median annual wage of $54,920 (BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). BLS Employment Projections expect a change of +4.5% from 2024 to 2034.

How to cite

Data version 2026-11-02, JobRoute method v1.0.0. Download all occupations or this occupation as JSON. Methodology.

JobRoute (2026). AI exposure: Tax Preparers. Data version 2026-11-02, method v1.0.0. Built on O*NET 30.3, BLS OEWS May 2025 and the Anthropic Economic Index (June 2026). CC BY 4.0. https://www.jobroute.ai/jobs/tax-preparers

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