8. Tax Accountant
Help clients organise their taxes to get the biggest return.
- Advantages: The advantages of this business are that you can work at home under flexible hours, it’s recession-proof because people will always need to pay their taxes, and it can be very profitable.
- The Market: You can work with individuals to fill out their yearly tax returns, specialise in small business tax preparation, or represent clients who’ve fallen under SARS’ radar and are being targeted for hefty penalties.
- Skills: As a tax preparation expert, you should have a solid working knowledge of tax laws for your target market. You’ll need a good eye for maths and the people skills to help your clients make the best of a usually nerve-draining situation. You should also have the experience and instincts to judge whether the information your clients give you is legitimate or doesn’t quite ring true.
- What you’ll need: You don’t have to have any sort of license or certification. You’ll need a computer with a laser printer, a fax machine, a copier, the usual office software and tax preparation software.