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Employment in tax preparation services averaged 95,000 in 2022

April 12, 2024

Average annual employment in tax preparation services was between approximately 95,000 and 98,000 from 2017 to 2022, after being above 100,000 most years from 2006 to 2016 and peaking at 113,000 in 2009.

Employment in tax preparation services, private industry, monthly and annual average, January 2001–September 2023
Month Employment by month Annual average employment

Jan 2001

149,860 75,198

Feb 2001

162,999

Mar 2001

146,914

Apr 2001

138,935

May 2001

41,022

Jun 2001

32,756

Jul 2001

27,968

Aug 2001

29,396

Sep 2001

30,371

Oct 2001

30,384

Nov 2001

32,825

Dec 2001

78,948

Jan 2002

160,915 84,885

Feb 2002

173,254

Mar 2002

158,386

Apr 2002

148,923

May 2002

43,590

Jun 2002

40,326

Jul 2002

30,982

Aug 2002

32,265

Sep 2002

33,823

Oct 2002

38,131

Nov 2002

58,075

Dec 2002

99,945

Jan 2003

180,227 88,905

Feb 2003

188,842

Mar 2003

167,273

Apr 2003

152,348

May 2003

44,845

Jun 2003

36,854

Jul 2003

30,660

Aug 2003

32,265

Sep 2003

34,406

Oct 2003

33,851

Nov 2003

63,407

Dec 2003

101,884

Jan 2004

181,702 93,403

Feb 2004

195,865

Mar 2004

172,504

Apr 2004

160,087

May 2004

50,272

Jun 2004

40,884

Jul 2004

33,942

Aug 2004

35,783

Sep 2004

37,935

Oct 2004

38,438

Nov 2004

63,507

Dec 2004

109,917

Jan 2005

195,722 96,042

Feb 2005

207,070

Mar 2005

175,977

Apr 2005

170,765

May 2005

51,374

Jun 2005

42,261

Jul 2005

35,458

Aug 2005

36,930

Sep 2005

38,397

Oct 2005

39,341

Nov 2005

49,789

Dec 2005

109,416

Jan 2006

192,935 102,179

Feb 2006

211,335

Mar 2006

183,817

Apr 2006

177,302

May 2006

54,252

Jun 2006

44,123

Jul 2006

38,222

Aug 2006

40,693

Sep 2006

42,861

Oct 2006

46,204

Nov 2006

65,819

Dec 2006

128,588

Jan 2007

211,788 107,175

Feb 2007

222,737

Mar 2007

194,306

Apr 2007

186,537

May 2007

59,026

Jun 2007

47,668

Jul 2007

40,519

Aug 2007

43,771

Sep 2007

45,916

Oct 2007

47,870

Nov 2007

62,214

Dec 2007

123,744

Jan 2008

217,440 111,321

Feb 2008

228,568

Mar 2008

199,007

Apr 2008

191,576

May 2008

59,812

Jun 2008

48,830

Jul 2008

43,203

Aug 2008

44,997

Sep 2008

46,621

Oct 2008

49,376

Nov 2008

76,749

Dec 2008

129,674

Jan 2009

229,056 113,083

Feb 2009

237,675

Mar 2009

202,124

Apr 2009

193,423

May 2009

60,077

Jun 2009

48,705

Jul 2009

43,608

Aug 2009

44,762

Sep 2009

45,707

Oct 2009

49,419

Nov 2009

93,243

Dec 2009

109,202

Jan 2010

211,391 106,298

Feb 2010

223,063

Mar 2010

198,495

Apr 2010

189,509

May 2010

62,165

Jun 2010

50,343

Jul 2010

44,172

Aug 2010

45,031

Sep 2010

45,467

Oct 2010

48,503

Nov 2010

61,564

Dec 2010

95,878

Jan 2011

194,330 105,614

Feb 2011

209,042

Mar 2011

190,358

Apr 2011

182,396

May 2011

64,871

Jun 2011

50,751

Jul 2011

44,637

Aug 2011

45,509

Sep 2011

46,383

Oct 2011

48,548

Nov 2011

82,689

Dec 2011

107,858

Jan 2012

189,234 100,691

Feb 2012

204,535

Mar 2012

186,617

Apr 2012

179,825

May 2012

62,928

Jun 2012

50,434

Jul 2012

44,966

Aug 2012

45,599

Sep 2012

45,779

Oct 2012

48,037

Nov 2012

64,867

Dec 2012

85,473

Jan 2013

168,855 98,370

Feb 2013

193,813

Mar 2013

178,894

Apr 2013

172,548

May 2013

61,146

Jun 2013

52,757

Jul 2013

47,184

Aug 2013

48,001

Sep 2013

49,091

Oct 2013

51,966

Nov 2013

60,280

Dec 2013

95,908

Jan 2014

167,862 100,985

Feb 2014

189,882

Mar 2014

176,586

Apr 2014

168,736

May 2014

61,699

Jun 2014

53,053

Jul 2014

48,637

Aug 2014

49,967

Sep 2014

53,203

Oct 2014

57,937

Nov 2014

77,506

Dec 2014

106,752

Jan 2015

181,545 103,685

Feb 2015

196,500

Mar 2015

182,555

Apr 2015

168,848

May 2015

62,062

Jun 2015

54,528

Jul 2015

51,129

Aug 2015

51,104

Sep 2015

52,075

Oct 2015

55,314

Nov 2015

83,068

Dec 2015

105,493

Jan 2016

172,787 100,344

Feb 2016

187,664

Mar 2016

173,359

Apr 2016

164,465

May 2016

67,282

Jun 2016

55,088

Jul 2016

51,291

Aug 2016

51,513

Sep 2016

53,197

Oct 2016

55,368

Nov 2016

80,791

Dec 2016

91,325

Jan 2017

155,818 97,330

Feb 2017

173,931

Mar 2017

164,123

Apr 2017

160,513

May 2017

64,121

Jun 2017

55,010

Jul 2017

51,311

Aug 2017

51,442

Sep 2017

52,338

Oct 2017

55,880

Nov 2017

82,699

Dec 2017

100,772

Jan 2018

156,232 98,421

Feb 2018

173,112

Mar 2018

164,209

Apr 2018

159,241

May 2018

63,479

Jun 2018

56,600

Jul 2018

54,240

Aug 2018

54,319

Sep 2018

55,006

Oct 2018

57,770

Nov 2018

81,097

Dec 2018

105,751

Jan 2019

152,052 96,719

Feb 2019

166,502

Mar 2019

159,321

Apr 2019

155,034

May 2019

63,536

Jun 2019

58,340

Jul 2019

55,869

Aug 2019

55,662

Sep 2019

56,658

Oct 2019

59,128

Nov 2019

78,845

Dec 2019

99,678

Jan 2020

147,120 97,097

Feb 2020

159,820

Mar 2020

152,726

Apr 2020

126,430

May 2020

76,905

Jun 2020

73,393

Jul 2020

78,873

Aug 2020

59,420

Sep 2020

57,490

Oct 2020

61,096

Nov 2020

73,141

Dec 2020

98,749

Jan 2021

132,098 96,868

Feb 2021

143,492

Mar 2021

143,630

Apr 2021

138,463

May 2021

106,276

Jun 2021

73,320

Jul 2021

63,631

Aug 2021

61,271

Sep 2021

60,537

Oct 2021

66,649

Nov 2021

77,690

Dec 2021

95,355

Jan 2022

127,383 95,097

Feb 2022

142,242

Mar 2022

140,731

Apr 2022

138,576

May 2022

77,926

Jun 2022

68,951

Jul 2022

65,203

Aug 2022

62,255

Sep 2022

64,237

Oct 2022

68,140

Nov 2022

82,318

Dec 2022

103,204

Jan 2023

134,929 n.a.

Feb 2023

147,761

Mar 2023

144,876

Apr 2023

140,453

May 2023

85,659

Jun 2023

68,527

Jul 2023

65,761

Aug 2023

63,624

Sep 2023

64,459

On a monthly basis, this industry exhibits considerable seasonal variation, following a regular pattern each year such that employment in most months is significantly different from the annual average. Employment in tax preparation services usually reaches its annual maximum in February, and its annual minimum in July, August, or September.

In 2022 for example, tax preparation services employment peaked at about 142,000 in February, declined to 139,000 in April, and dropped to near 62,000 in August.

In contrast, in 2009, tax preparation employment reached nearly 238,000 in February, was near 193,000 in April, and fell to less than 44,000 in July.

While the annual maximum employment in this industry, mirroring annual average employment, has been on a downward trend since 2009, the annual minimum has been trending up since 2001.

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. Data for 2023 are preliminary. QCEW data are calculated with data in quarterly reports from establishments covered by the unemployment insurance program. Employment that is not covered by unemployment insurance (for example, the self-employed) is not included in QCEW data. The tax preparation services industry (NAICS 541213) comprises establishments engaged in providing tax return preparation services without also providing accounting, bookkeeping, billing, or payroll processing services. Offices of certified public accountants are not included. Note that 4th quarter and annual average 2023 QCEW data for this industry will be available June 5, 2024.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment in tax preparation services averaged 95,000 in 2022 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2024/employment-in-tax-preparation-services-averaged-95000-in-2022.htm (visited October 31, 2024).

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