Somewhat Resilient
Last Update: 8/30/2026
AI Resilience Score for Tax Preparers:
38.4%
Median Score
Meaningful human contribution
Measures the parts of the occupation that still require a human touch. This score averages data from up to four AI exposure datasets, focusing on the role’s resilience against automation.
Low
Long-term employer demand
Predicts the health of the job market for this role through 2034. Using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, it balances projected annual job openings (60%) with overall employment growth (40%).
Med
Sustained economic opportunity
Measures future earning potential and career flexibility. This score is a blend of total projected labor income (67%) and the role’s inherent ability to adapt to economic and technological shifts (33%).
Med
This reflects the reliability of your score based on the number of data sources available for this career and how closely those sources agree on the outlook. A higher confidence means more consistent evidence from labor experts and AI models.
This result is backed by strong agreement across multiple data sources.
Contributing sources
AI Resilience Report forTax Preparers
$54,920 median salary•9,400 annual openings•SOC Code: 13-2082.00
Tax Preparers are somewhat less resilient to AI impacts than most occupations, according to our analysis of 8 sources.
Tax preparation is labeled "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is already handling a big chunk of the routine work (like checking data, classifying receipts, and filling out forms), which means the job is changing significantly even if it is not disappearing. Studies show that some firms have automated more than 80% of individual tax return preparation, so preparers who only focus on those basic tasks will find their role shrinking fast.
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Tax preparation is labeled "Somewhat Resilient" because AI is already handling a big chunk of the routine work (like checking data, classifying receipts, and filling out forms), which means the job is changing significantly even if it is not disappearing. Studies show that some firms have automated more than 80% of individual tax return preparation, so preparers who only focus on those basic tasks will find their role shrinking fast.
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View analysisChat with CoachLatest newsMore career infoAnalysisChatNewsMoreAnalysis of Current AI Resilience
Tax Preparers
Updated Quarterly
How is AI changing Tax Preparers jobs?
Right now, AI is mostly augmenting tax preparers rather than replacing them — but the automation piece is growing quickly. According to a CPA.com study cited by the Journal of Accountancy, some firms have automated more than 80% of individual tax return preparation [1] using AI-assisted tools, freeing staff to focus on advisory work. A TheStreet analysis of a Blue J/CPA.com survey of over 1,000 tax pros [2] found weekly AI use for tax research jumped from 33% in 2025 to 60% in 2026, with 44% now using AI for advisory projects and 40% for tax planning.
Consulting firm Aprio explains that AI helps with time-consuming tasks like classifying receipts, extracting financial data, and drafting forms [3], which lines up with the high-automation-score tasks (data checking, computing taxes). However, the IRS made clear in June 2026 guidance that AI should augment — not replace — professional judgment, and the practitioner who signs the return remains fully responsible [1].
Sources
How fast is AI adoption growing for Tax Preparers?
Adoption is accelerating fast in tax prep because commercial tools (Thomson Reuters "Ready to Review," Intuit, Blue J, and others) are widely available and the labor benefits are clear. The Thomson Reuters Institute's 2026 Corporate Tax Technology Report [4] notes that tax pros now expect AI to become central to their workflow within one to two years — much sooner than they predicted a year earlier — though budget constraints and slow organizational change create a "frustration gap." Legal and ethical concerns are slowing things down too: the IRS warned that AI carries well-documented risks including fabricated outputs, bias, and lack of transparency [1], and current rules don't require preparers to tell clients when AI helped prepare their return. The good news for young people: Brookings researchers argue workers can adapt to AI displacement when they build complementary skills [5] — and in tax prep, the human parts (client interviews, judgment calls, trust) remain firmly valuable.
Sources
Will AI replace Tax Preparers?
Not entirely. We think AI will take over some tasks, but not the whole job.
Tax prep is one of the fields where AI is moving fast and the numbers show it. Some firms have already automated more than 80% of individual return preparation using AI-assisted tools [1], and weekly AI use among tax pros jumped from 33% to 60% in just one year [2]. That is a real shift, and it explains our 38.4% AI Resilience Score. The routine work, classifying receipts, extracting data, computing taxes, is increasingly handled by software [3].
What stays human is the part that actually requires judgment. Client interviews, tricky edge cases, advisory conversations, and the trust that comes from a real relationship are not easy to automate. The IRS has been clear that the professional who signs the return is still fully responsible, regardless of what AI helped produce [1]. That accountability has to live somewhere, and right now it lives with people.
The economic picture is mixed but not bleak. Employer demand and earning potential both land at medium in our analysis. Tax preparers who build skills in advisory work and client communication, the parts AI handles worst, are the ones most likely to stay relevant. Researchers at Brookings argue that building complementary skills is exactly how workers adapt when AI reshapes a field [5]. That path is open here.
Sources
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Latest AI news for Tax Preparers
These articles highlight how AI will reshape the tax preparer career, presenting both challenges and opportunities. For instance, the guide on AI for tax professionals outlines practical strategies to embrace AI, ensuring tax preparers can enhance their skills and stay relevant. Additionally, the study on AI’s impact on CPAs shows significant time savings in routine tasks, allowing tax professionals to focus on more complex client needs. By adapting to these changes, future tax preparers can cultivate AI resilience and thrive in an evolving landscape.
Calculating AI’s impact on CPAs: New study quantifies time savings
www.journalofaccountancy.com • 8/20/2025
Researchers determine the real difference that generative AI can have on the average accountant in terms of time spent on routine data entry...
How will AI affect accounting jobs?
tax.thomsonreuters.com • 6/10/2025
The prospect of AI replacing accounting jobs may be a frightening one for tax professionals, but there are several reasons why that's...
The Future of Tax Automation: Can AI Replace Tax Professionals?
pro.bloombergtax.com • 4/10/2025
Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, and big data analytics are transforming the corporate tax industry.
AI for tax professionals: A guide
tax.thomsonreuters.com • 3/5/2025
Explore practical ways that tax professionals can do to confidently prepare for the future of AI while achieving their career and job goals.
How AI will impact the tax and accounting profession (2025)
tax.thomsonreuters.com • 1/30/2025
Discover AI can change the tax and accounting profession with new skills and career paths based on the Future of Professionals Report.
More Career Info
Career: Tax Preparers
They help people file their taxes by organizing financial information and making sure everything is correct to follow tax laws and get the best refund or payment.
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Employment & Wage Data
Median Wage
$54,920
Jobs (2025)
95,800
Growth (2025-35)
+4.7%
Annual Openings
9,400
Education
High school diploma or equivalent
Experience
None
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025-2035
Task-Level AI Resilience Scores
AI-generated estimates of task resilience over the next 3 years
1
Interview clients to obtain additional information on taxable income and deductible expenses and allowances.
2
Answer questions and provide future tax planning to clients.
3
Furnish taxpayers with sufficient information and advice to ensure correct tax form completion.
4
Use all appropriate adjustments, deductions, and credits to keep clients' taxes to a minimum.
5
Prepare or assist in preparing simple to complex tax returns for individuals or small businesses.
6
Explain federal and state tax laws to individuals and companies.
7
Consult tax law handbooks or bulletins to determine procedures for preparation of atypical returns.
Tasks are ranked by their AI resilience, with the most resilient tasks shown first. Core tasks are essential functions of this occupation, while supplemental tasks provide additional context.
