Becoming a CPA could mean preparing taxes in your pajamas
Have you ever thought about the freedom you’d have if you earned a professional certification that allowed you to work from home? You’d be able to get up whenever you want, set your schedule for the day, and you could even work in your pajamas.
If that sounds like a good deal, you may want to consider becoming a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). In general, a CPA is a certified accountant who analyzes and reports on financial information.
If you love working with financial data and want your freedom, becoming a CPA could be a good work-from-home opportunity. While you can focus on tax preparation, you don’t have to make that your sole focus. There are plenty of other duties you can perform for individuals and businesses.
Becoming a CPA is a rewarding challenge
Like any professional certification, becoming a CPA is challenging. Becoming a CPA is rewarding, though, because once you’re certified, you’ll have the knowledge required to step into high-paying roles.
Each state has different educational requirements, but all states require candidates to have a bachelor’s degree in a related field that includes a specific number of hours spent studying accounting.
To pass the CPA exam, you’ll need to study hard enough to score at least 75% on each of the four sections. Most people take a CPA prep course to ensure they pass on the first try. With a pass rate of just over 50%, you don’t want to skip the prep course. You’ll be given mock exams that mimic the real test, and many prep courses use predictive scoring to determine how you’ll score on the real exam.
What does a CPA do?
A CPA’s duties vary based on their official position or title. However, generally speaking, a CPA’s duties include:
- Creating accounting policies, procedures, and systems for bookkeeping, monitoring, and reporting
- Overseeing budget creation
- Overseeing the accuracy of internal audits
- Preparing financial data for audits and tax purposes
- Preparing financial statements reportable to the Board of Directors
- Consulting on how company funds are spent
- Managing accounts receivable
- Managing accounts payable
- Representing people and businesses in a tax audit by the IRS
All of these duties are normal, everyday tasks for CPAs and can be easily performed remotely.
The best part? You can work in your pajamas if that’s what makes you happy. If you’re concerned about a drop in productivity, don’t worry. Research studies have concluded that working in pajamas doesn’t tank productivity. However, getting dressed for the day does have benefits for productivity and mental health.
If you love working in pajamas, perhaps you could buy some pajamas reserved just for working.
Remote CPAs are the future of financial services
In the near future, financial services will be performed mostly by remote workers. Since meeting in person isn’t always required, companies can hire CPAs who live in the United States, France, Australia, or anywhere else in the world.
Remote CPAs, along with remote accountants and even remote CMAs, are the future of the financial management industry. The world is moving to a remote-centered model, whether people like it or not. Businesses are quickly phasing out physical offices; those who don’t want to work remotely will need to get on board or they’ll be out of work.
If you’re great with numbers, you’ll make a good CPA
There are many traits that make someone a good CPA, but you need a fundamental love for numbers and financials. If you’ve got the education, passion, and talent, all you need is a commitment to getting certified. Once you’re certified, you’ll be free to pursue jobs with existing organizations, or you can choose to start your own firm.
If you’d rather freelance, you can work as an independent contractor and have complete control over the projects you take on for clients.
Whether you work for yourself or an existing firm, you’ll love the freedom that comes from working from home. There’s nothing better than setting your own schedule, working in your preferred environment, and doing things your way.