Tax Accounting Programs in Tennessee

Educational Information:

With over 45 public and private institutions offering tax auditing programs in Tennessee, students have the opportunity to choose a program that suits their individual needs. The typical tax auditing program allows students to pursue coursework in courses like reporting procedures, financial analysis, tax auditing, accounting principles and theory, business and non-profit accounting, budget control, accounting ethics and other courses.

Licensing Information:

The Tennessee Board of Accountancy requires that candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college and also have at least 150 credit hours. Students must also pass the uniform CPA exam and also the ethics exam administered by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Students must also obtain at least 2,000 hours of experience in a minimum of one year within the accounting field in order to apply for a CPA license in the state. Reciprocity is available for students who have at least one year of experience, have obtained 150 credit hours and have a valid CPA license in another state.

Employment Information:

In Tennessee, students can pursue tax auditing careers for financial consulting companies, tax auditing firms, accounting firms, local city governments, state-wide government agencies, private companies and other types of entities. Some students choose to pursue a non-traditional route and go into teaching or choose to attend a graduate school program. An accounting degree can provide a strong foundation for a graduate program that focuses on asset management, investment banking, statistics, mathematics, law or business.

As of May 2020, accounting professionals earned an average salary of $70,500 in Tennessee, while tax preparers here earned an average salary of $48,100. Between 2018 and 2028, the number of accountant and auditor jobs in the state is projected to increase by 16.4%, and the number of tax preparer jobs is projected to increase by 27%.

About 2,620 annual job openings for accountants and 470 annual job openings for tax preparers are expected during this ten-year period leading to 2028 due to a combination of new job growth, retirements, and natural job turnover.

May 2020 Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and job market trends for accountants and auditors and tax preparers. Figures represent state data, not school specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed April 2021.

Job growth projections for accountants and auditors and tax preparers sourced from the U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored O*Net database and based on state-specific information (2018-2028)