One resume challenge you may face as a tax manager is effectively showcasing your intricate knowledge of tax codes and regulations to distinguish yourself from the competition. Our guide offers structured advice and industry-specific examples to help you articulate your expertise and achievements in a compelling manner that will capture the attention of potential employers.
- Format your tax manager resume to ensure that it balances professionalism with creativity, and follows the best practices.
- Match the tax manager job requirements by including industry keywords on your resume.
- Use various resume sections to showcase your skills and achievements to answer why you're the best candidate for the tax manager role.
Take inspiration from leading tax manager resume examples to learn how to tailor your experience.
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Optimize your tax manager resume format to pass the recruiters' assessment
You may be wondering just how much time you need to spend on designing your tax manager resume.What recruiters are looking for is systematised content that is clear and coherent. Thus, your tax manager resume needs to answer requirements and why you're the best candidate for the role from the get-go.
Often, a clear layout consists of:
- Sorting your experience in the reverse chronological order - starting with your most recent and relevant roles. This is an excellent choice for more experienced professionals;
- Writing your contact information (e.g. personal phone number and email address) and your portfolio or LinkedIn link in your tax manager resume header. If you're wondering to include a photo or not, always make sure that it's appropriate for the country you're applying in;
- Use the basic, most important tax manager resume sections - your experience, education, summary, etc. Use your resume's real estate wisely to tell a compelling, professional story and match job description's keywords;
- Don't go overboard with the length of your resume. One page is absolutely fine if you happen to have under a decade of relevant experience.
Are you still wondering if you should submit your tax manager resume in PDF or Word format ? The PDF has a few more advantages, as it doesn't change the format and the text can't be altered upon application.
Format matters most when your tax manager resume is assessed by the Applicant Tracker System (or the ATS).
The ATS parses resumes, looking for specific keywords, skills or experience that match the job description.
P.S. We recently did a study on how the ATS works and were able to demystify three of the biggest misconceptions about how it assesses candidate resumes.
To pass the ATS evaluation, select any of the serif or sans-serif fonts. Popular choices that would help your tax manager resume stand out include Raleway, Exo 2, Montserrat, etc.
Most traditionalists go for Arial or Times New Roman, but it's often the case that many candidates choose these fonts, and you'd thus lose points on the uniqueness front.
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The more trusted the organization you've attained your certificate (or degree) from, the more credible your skill set would be.
Don't forget to include these six sections on your tax manager resume:
- Header and summary for your contact details and to highlight your alignment with the tax manager job you're applying for
- Experience section to get into specific technologies you're apt at using and personal skills to deliver successful results
- Skills section to further highlight how your profile matches the job requirements
- Education section to provide your academic background
- Achievements to mention any career highlights that may be impressive, or that you might have missed so far in other resume sections
What recruiters want to see on your resume:
- Demonstrable experience with tax compliance and strategy for a variety of tax types (corporate, income, sales/use, property, etc.) and jurisdictions (federal, state, local, and international).
- Strong proficiency in tax software and systems, as well as advanced Excel skills for complex financial modeling and analysis.
- Expertise in tax law and regulations, with a history of successfully navigating audits, reducing tax liabilities, and staying ahead of changes in tax legislation.
- Leadership experience overseeing a tax department, including mentoring staff, managing cross-functional projects, and effectively communicating tax strategies to both finance/non-finance stakeholders.
- CPA certification or equivalent, Master’s degree in Taxation, or relevant advanced degrees and certifications, signaling advanced knowledge and professional commitment to the field of taxation.
Essential tips for crafting your tax manager resume experience section
The experience section is indeed the core of your tax manager resume. It's where you present your past and current job roles. But how should you approach this crucial part?
A common error is treating the experience section as merely a list of job duties. Many candidates fall into the trap of detailing what they did without illustrating the impact of their actions.
To effectively write your tax manager resume experience section, consider these guidelines:
- Emphasize your achievements, supported by concrete metrics such as percentages, revenue increases, or customer satisfaction rates;
- Avoid using generic buzzwords like communication, hard work, or leadership. Instead, demonstrate how these skills added value in your previous roles;
- Begin each bullet point with a strong action verb, followed by a skill, and then the result of your actions;
- Tailor your resume for each job application by selecting the most relevant experiences, responsibilities, and successes.
We have an array of resume examples that illustrate how to optimally curate your tax manager resume experience section.
- Oversaw the preparation of tax returns and quarterly tax provisions for a multinational firm with over $500 million in revenue, increasing accuracy by 30%.
- Advised on tax strategies and compliance for M&A transactions, resulting in successful integration of 3 acquired companies without compliance issues.
- Implemented a new tax software that streamlined the tax reporting process, cutting down the time required for preparing reports by 25%.
- Spearheaded a team of 20 tax professionals to manage the tax planning and strategy for a portfolio of high net worth clients, growing the client base by 40%.
- Identified tax saving opportunities which saved clients an average of $2 million in potential taxes annually through proactive planning.
- Developed and delivered internal training programs that enhanced the team's understanding of complex tax regulations and fostered a culture of continuous improvement.
- Managed international tax compliance, ensuring adherence to laws for over 30 jurisdictions and reducing previous compliance errors by 50%.
- Optimized transfer pricing policies which led to a reduction in intercompany transaction costs by 15% while maintaining compliance with OECD guidelines.
- Coordinated the successful defense of tax positions during IRS audits, which prevented additional tax charges of over $4 million.
- Led the tax reporting for a public firm during its IPO, managing the complex tax structuring and documentation that resulted in a seamless public offer.
- Reduced overall tax liability by 20% through the implementation of strategic tax planning initiatives in line with corporate growth objectives.
- Enhanced the firm's R&D tax credit process, reclaiming an additional $1.5 million in tax credits through meticulous documentation and strategic filing.
- Formulated tax strategies that aligned with corporate restructuring, leading to a streamlined legal entity structure and a subsequent tax savings of 10%.
- Directed the annual tax provision process, improving the effective tax rate from 28% to 24% through strategic planning and utilization of tax credits.
- Fostered relationships with external tax advisors and regulatory bodies to ensure compliance and stay ahead of legislative changes that could affect the business.
- Designed and maintained tax recordkeeping systems that enhanced reporting efficiency and reduced manual entry errors by 35%.
- Conducted thorough reviews of the company's tax filings, identifying discrepancies that led to a recovery of $750,000 in overpaid taxes.
- Collaborated with the financial accounting team to align tax strategies with GAAP and statutory accounting principles, ensuring comprehensive fiscal responsibility.
- Navigated complex tax issues for tech startups, offering solutions for international expansion that were compliant with both local and global tax regulations.
- Drove the digital transformation of the tax function, adopting cutting-edge tax technology solutions that improved data analytics capabilities and reporting speed.
- Established a new tax risk management framework that reduced identified tax risks by 40% within 2 years and enhanced the firm’s risk profile.
- Reengineered the tax compliance workflow incorporating lean methodologies, which increased process efficiency by 20% and reduced staffing needs by 10%.
- Played a crucial role in the negotiations of state tax incentives for a facility expansion, securing $5 million in tax breaks over 5 years.
- Led a task force to address and rectify a critical tax software issue, minimizing potential financial impact and maintaining uninterrupted tax operations.
Quantifying impact on your resume
- Highlight the total dollar amount of tax savings achieved for clients or employers through strategic tax planning and optimization.
- Illustrate the size of tax portfolios managed, specifying the number of clients or the monetary value of the portfolios.
- Detail the percentage of compliance issues resolved before any penalties were incurred, demonstrating risk mitigation.
- Show the exact number of tax returns or filings overseen annually, establishing workload capacity and expertise.
- Quantify any process improvements in terms of time saved or percent increase in efficiency for the tax department.
- Mention the scale of the teams led, including the number of direct reports and the overall impact on department performance.
- Present the financial impact of any tax audits defended, specifying the amount of potential exposure reduced.
- Document any growth in revenue or reduction in tax liabilities under your leadership, using precise figures.
Action verbs for your tax manager resume
What if my tax manager experience doesn't match the requirements?
You've just graduated from college and may have no real world job experience . What should you include within your resume then?
Instead of making up information or adding irrelevant past jobs (e.g. your on-campus work during freshman year), you can:
- Shift the focus from your professional experience to your community impact with your volunteer work. This would showcase numerous soft skills you've built over time (e.g. interpersonal communication);
- Highlight the projects you've completed, as part of your coursework, or, on your own. Thus, you will align your technical background with recruiters' requirements;
- Consider spotlighting your transferrable skills. Or, what lessons and talents your current professional and personal experience has taught you and how they could benefit your potential employers;
- Even if you've had a few months of internship experience, that is relevant for the role, make sure to include this. Recruiters do care about the years of experience you happen to have, but, at the end of the day, your profile would also be assessed based on role alignment.
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If you happen to have plenty of certificates, select the ones that are most applicable and sought-after across the industry. Organize them by relevance to the role you're applying for.
Defining your unique tax manager skill set with hard skills and soft skills
In any job advertisement, a blend of specific technologies and interpersonal communication skills is typically sought after. Hard skills represent your technical expertise and indicate your job performance capacity. Soft skills, on the other hand, demonstrate how well you would integrate within the company culture.
Incorporating a balanced mix of both skill types in your tax manager resume is crucial. Here's how you can do it:
- In your resume summary or objective, incorporate up to three hard and/or soft skills. Make sure to quantify these skills with relevant or impressive achievements; less
- The skills section should list your technical know-how.
- The strengths section is an ideal place to quantify your competencies by focusing on the achievements facilitated by these skills.
Top skills for your tax manager resume:
Tax Preparation
Accounting Principles
Tax Compliance
Tax Research
Financial Analysis
Tax Planning Strategies
Knowledge of Tax Software
Understanding of Federal, State and Local Tax Regulations
Audit Experience
Corporate Tax Knowledge
Attention to Detail
Critical Thinking
Leadership
Communication
Problem-Solving
Project Management
Time Management
Adaptability
Teamwork
Client Relationship Management
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The more time and effort you've put into obtaining the relevant certificate, the closer to the top it should be listed. This is especially important for more senior roles and if the company you're applying for is more forward-facing.
Showcase academic background with education and certifications' sections
Listing your education and certifications should be a rudimentary part of your resume writing.
Including your relevant academic background - in the form of your higher education degree and niche-specific certificates - will prove knowledge of the industry.
For your education section:
- Start by including your degree, followed by start and graduation dates, as well as the institution;
- You could include relevant coursework, major/minor , or GPA, only if your've just graduated from college or if this information would further support your application;
- If you have an "ongoing" degree, you can still list it in case you think your diploma can impress recruiters or it's required;
Follow a similar logic for your certifications section by listing the institution, alongside dates you've obtained the certificate. For some of the most recent and relevant industry certificates , check out the next part of our guide:
The top 5 certifications for your tax manager resume:
- Certified Public Accountant (CPA) - American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA)
- Enrolled Agent (EA) - Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
- Certified Tax Manager (CTM) - Institute of Certified Tax Managers
- Chartered Tax Professional (CTP) - The Income Tax School
- Accredited Tax Advisor (ATA) - Accreditation Council for Accountancy and Taxation (ACAT)
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If you happen to have some basic certificates, don't invest too much of your tax manager resume real estate in them. Instead, list them within the skills section or as part of your relevant experience. This way you'd ensure you meet all job requirements while dedicating your certificates to only the most in-demand certification across the industry.
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Professional summary or objective for your tax manager resume
tax manager candidates sometimes get confused between the difference of a resume summary and a resume objective.
Which one should you be using?
Remember that the:
- Resume objective has more to do with your dreams and goals for your career. Within it, you have the opportunity to showcase to recruiters why your application is an important one and, at the same time, help them imagine what your impact on the role, team, and company would be.
- Resume summary should recount key achievements, tailored for the role, through your career. Allowing recruiters to quickly scan and understand the breadth of your tax manager expertise.
The resume objectives are always an excellent choice for candidates starting off their career, while the resume summary is more fitting for experienced candidates.
No matter if you chose a summary or objective, get some extra inspiration from real-world professional tax manager resumes:
Resume summaries for a tax manager job
- Seasoned tax professional with a notable 12 years of experience strategizing tax solutions for a leading multinational corporation, adept in US GAAP, IFRS, and SAP implementations. Oversaw a complex company-wide tax restructuring that yielded a 20% reduction in effective tax rate. Seeking to leverage extensive expertise in tax planning and compliance to manage sophisticated tax portfolios and identify cost-saving opportunities.
- With a decade of expertise as a Senior Tax Consultant for a Big Four firm, proficient in tax software such as OneSource and CCH Axcess, I led a team that secured a multi-million dollar tax refund through strategic amendments. Expertise in international tax laws propelled company clients to optimized compliance and significant financial savings.
- Transitioning from a 15-year seasoned finance director role within the automotive industry, where I honed analytical skills and financial acumen, I hold an in-depth understanding of complex financial reporting and compliance, seeking to apply my meticulous attention to detail and a proven track record of successful budget management in a focused tax manager capacity.
- After excelling in audit management for over 8 years at a reputable accountancy firm, with in-depth expertise in risk assessment and regulatory compliance, I aim to pivot my career trajectory to encompass the challenges and intricacies of tax management, drawing on a solid foundation in financial analysis and keen eye for optimization strategies.
- Embarking on a career in tax management after achieving a Master's degree in Taxation, combined with an enthusiasm for analytical problem-solving. Eager to apply classroom and intern experience in tax research, and preparation of returns to contribute to efficient tax operations, upholding compliance and maximizing fiscal outcomes for stakeholders.
- As an aspiring Tax Manager, I bring fresh perspectives from a recent high-honors Bachelor's in Accounting and a dedication to lifelong learning. I am determined to apply my internship experience at a top-tier tax firm and my certification in tax software usage, aiming to grow with a company through meticulous tax strategy development and execution.
Showcasing your personality with these four tax manager resume sections
Enhance your tax manager expertise with additional resume sections that spotlight both your professional skills and personal traits. Choose options that not only present you in a professional light but also reveal why colleagues enjoy working with you:
- My time - a pie chart infographic detailing your daily personal and professional priorities, showcasing a blend of hard and soft skills;
- Hobbies and interests - share your engagement in sports, fandoms, or other interests, whether in your local community or during personal time;
- Quotes - what motivates and inspires you as a professional;
- Books - indicating your reading and comprehension skills, a definite plus for employers, particularly when your reading interests align with your professional field.
Key takeaways
- Pay special attention to the tiny details that make up your tax manager resume formatting: the more tailored your application to the role is, the better your chances at success would be;
- Select the sections you include (summary or objective, etc.) and formatting (reverse-chronological, hybrid, etc.) based on your experience level;
- Select experience items and, consequently, achievements that showcase you in the best light and are relevant to the job;
- Your profile will be assessed both based on your technical capabilities and personality skills - curate those through your resume;
- Certifications and education showcase your dedication to the particular industry.
Tax Manager resume examples
Explore additional tax manager resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.
By Role
Tax Director
The role of a Tax Director is incredibly strategic and often born from years of experience in handling the financial and tax structures of companies. The following points can be useful in applying to a Tax Director role:
- Forefront your strategic experience with financial planning and tax strategy implementation.
- Specify your understanding of tax laws and how you've applied them to benefit the company, following a 'knowledge-action-result' pattern.
- Certainly, highlight your team management abilities - as a Tax Director, you'll lead a team of tax professionals.
- Remember to list any certifications, like the CPA, and how they've contributed to your career.
- Actionable outcomes are vital in this role. Specify how your strategic plans decreased tax liability or identified cost savings, aiding the company's bottom-line.
Tax Preparer
The Tax Preparer position, although not as strategic as a Tax Director, is vital in the world of finance and tax. To successfully apply for a Tax Preparer job, consider these pointers:
- Highlight your knowledge of tax software like TurboTax or H&R Block. Instead of simply listing them, explain how they've made your work more efficient or accurate.
- Give importance to your communication skills. You'll handle client interactions on a regular basis, so interpersonal abilities matter.
- Certifications matter in this job. If you passed the IRS's Annual Filing Season Program (AFSP), emphasize it. Share how this certification helped you improve your performance or client satisfaction.
- Remember to emphasize outcomes - show how your meticulous work has resulted in error-free filings or how you've made clients' tax seasons less stressful.
