It's National Tax Preparer Recruiting Week at Jackson Hewitt

Jackson Hewitt Tax Service Inc., the nation’s second largest tax preparation firm, is offering a much needed economic boost to job seekers across the country this week as it hosts its inaugural National Tax Preparer Recruiting Week.

The weeklong event, running fr om September 12 through the 17th, is aimed at attracting individuals who are interested in seeking potential seasonal or full-time employment in Jackson Hewitt’s nationwide system of tax preparation offices.

For the upcoming 2012 tax season Jackson Hewitt anticipates hiring over 25,000 seasonal tax preparers throughout its system to meet client demand.

"At Jackson Hewitt, the cornerstone of our business is our tax preparers, and their connection to the communities we serve," said Phillip H. Sanford, president and chief executive officer of Jackson Hewitt. "During our recruiting week, we will be providing information about employment opportunities to job seekers around the country and doing our part to support the local economy wh ere we operate.”

The demand for well-trained, high-quality tax preparers remains high, as roughly 68 million taxpayers turn to a paid tax preparer for assistance filing an annual tax return each year. To meet this demand, Jackson Hewitt hires, trains, and deploys a tax preparer workforce comprised of both year-round and seasonal employees.

“Our National Tax Preparer Recruiting Week initiative will assist us in attracting tax preparers to fully staff our system-wide needs for the upcoming 2012 tax season and beyond. Further, our initiative provides interested job seekers with the opportunity to explore and learn about the tax preparer field, and the potential opportunities to consider joining the Jackson Hewitt team,” said David Weselcouch, vice president, corporate communications. “The tax preparers we employ each year in our nationwide system are key contributors to our overall success.”

During the Jackson Hewitt National Recruiting Week, Jackson Hewitt officials say job seekers will learn about the benefits of employment as a Jackson Hewitt tax preparer, including:

Career building opportunities. Jackson Hewitt officials say the tax preparer profession offers and employment opportunity in an industry that is always in demand;

Flexible hours. The majority of Jackson Hewitt employees are seasonal workers who enjoy the flexibility of working part of the year and being able to commit to family or other projects over the remaining months;

Convenient, hands-on training. Each prospective tax preparer is required to complete courses offered through Jackson Hewitt Tax School, which provides a thorough introduction to tax preparation; and,

Understanding of federal requirements. Jackson Hewitt works to ensure its tax preparers are up-to-date on all Internal Revenue Service requirements, such as obtaining a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN). A PTIN is now necessary in order to legally prepare federal tax returns for a fee in the United States.

For those interested in becoming a tax preparer, Jackson Hewitt provides candidates with the opportunity to enroll in Jackson Hewitt's Tax School. Candidates can take the Basic Income Tax Course, a progressive tax education program for beginners, with no prior tax preparation experience required. Courses are offered in three different formats: a traditional classroom setting; a computerized classroom; and, online.

Officials stress enrollment in, or completion of, the course is neither an offer nor a guarantee of employment. Additional training, experience or skills may be required. Most offices are independently owned and operated.