Workampers can find jobs at corporate-owned stores, or working directly for franchised locations. Wherever you may be located this winter, chances are strong you can find a job working for Jackson Hewitt.
by Greg Gerber
With 5,200 company-owned and franchised locations across the United States, including kiosks at 2,600 Walmart stores, Jackson Hewitt has helped millions of businesses and individuals file necessary tax forms for more than 40 years.
The company prides itself on being a national company with a small-town heart. Workampers can find jobs at corporate-owned stores, or working directly for franchised locations. Wherever you may be located this winter, chances are strong you can find a job working for Jackson Hewitt.
Typically, people are hired for two primary positions. The bulk of Workampers serve as tax preparers who work directly with clients to help prepare returns. Client service associates are hired to assist tax preparers by scanning documents and answering phones.
The company loves to hire Workampers because it’s often a challenge to find people who only want to work a few months. But, it’s an ideal position for someone who would like to start work after the holidays, and wrap it up before beginning a summer job.
It’s not difficult work and Workampers don’t need any expertise in tax preparation or even financial planning. All it takes is good attention to detail and a desire to provide helpful, friendly customer service to a variety of clients.
Customers include retirees, families, single-parents, small businesses and individuals of all ages, backgrounds and income levels. For businesses, the company also offers bookkeeping and payroll services.
Jackson Hewitt provides paid training to show Workampers how to operate the company’s easy-to-use proprietary software system. Basically, the software guides tax preparers through a series of questions for customers to answer; and provides a place to enter specific data.
Then, the system either determines the amount of a refund customers can expect or it computes any taxes owed. It’s hard for Workampers to make a mistake because the software automatically flags missing data or unusual entries.
The tax-preparation training is done virtually, so Workampers can complete it before they arrive on the job. There will be additional location-specific training provided regarding office policies and procedures. Some Jackson Hewitt offices may require Workampers to buy books need to complete training.
Workampers usually help individuals and businesses with straight-forward tax returns. Any really complicated returns are handled by the company’s staff of full-time tax professionals. However, if a Workamper would like to learn more than basic tax preparation, opportunities exist to take courses to expand their skills.
Whenever a Workamper encounters a confusing situation, help is always available from the full-time staff.
“Tax skills is something for which we can provide training, but we look for people who have good attitudes to work in our customer-service business,” Matt Nelson, the owner of Jackson Hewitt franchises in Texas, New Mexico, Colorado and California, said. “People pour out their lives, hearts and financial situation on the tax table. So, we look for people of character who can engage customers in order to quickly build trust.”
When meeting with clients, Workampers can sometimes have an appointment every hour, especially at Walmart locations.
Many Jackson Hewitt customers return year-after-year, which makes it even easier for Workampers to help them because the system pulls up needed information from prior tax forms. Customers are asked about any major changes to their lives during the previous year, such as a divorce, birth of a baby or death of a dependent. The answers could impact how taxes are filed and whether people qualify for new deductions.
Occasionally, there are a few remote work opportunities available for returning Workampers, but those aren’t always an option. When offered, all work is performed electronically wherever the Workamper may be, whether near the office or in another part of the country.
Scheduling Options
Jackson Hewitt would like Workampers to commit to 30 hours a week. However, they can usually work as much as they’d like during tax season from early January and through mid-April. After that time, the company will submit a filing extension on behalf of clients, and the office’s full-time staff will take it from there.
One benefit of working for Jackson Hewitt is scheduling flexibility. If Workampers wish to work just a few hours a week or collect a lot of overtime, the company will accommodate most everyone’s schedule.
Hours of operation will depend on the location, but Workampers usually staff offices or Walmart kiosks from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. As the tax season progresses, some weekend hours may be required to keep up with demand.
There is often an ebb-and-flow to the tax season. People who work jobs and receive a W-2 form from an employer are often among the first to get their taxes done because they are expecting a refund. People who work for themselves or do a lot of investing and need to compile more data or expect to pay taxes, may wait until March to get started.
Consequently, it may be possible for Workampers to take extended time off between busier periods to explore the area. Then there are weeks when it’s all hands-on deck to get returns completed before the filing deadlines.
Lucrative Pay
Tax preparers earn anywhere from $12 to $17 per hour, depending upon the location. Overtime is often available at most Jackson Hewitt offices.
Often Workampers qualify for a year-end bonus based on metrics like the number of returns completed, clients retained from year-to-year, or revenue generated through add-on services, such as the company’s Worry-Free Guarantee.
Some offices offer sign-on bonuses for new employees. As a result, Jackson Hewitt jobs are among the most lucrative office-type positions available to Workampers.
“I think we offer a reasonable and competitive wage, and we’re more than willing to work with Workampers regarding their needs and compensate them accordingly,” Dan Marlow, with Valor Tax Services, a Jackson Hewitt franchisee with locations in Kansas and Missouri, said.
Awesome Perks
Depending upon the location, a free RV site or a stipend to cover site rental may be included as a benefit for full-time work. However, part-time hours may not include a free site.
Another big perk about working for Jackson Hewitt is the ability to return every year, either to the same location or to other locations which may be looking for temporary tax preparers.
Here are a few perks listed on Jackson Hewitt’s website:
- Hourly pay plus competitive bonus program
- Flexible schedule options
- Unlimited Teladoc sessions for you and your whole household for $13 per month
- Financial, life insurance and wellness benefits through Avibra
- Free employee assistance program
- Corporate discount program
- Free tax preparation training and registration for to attain an IRS preparer tax identification (PTIN) number
- Free continuing tax education
- Enrolled Agent materials and testing reimbursement
- Discounted rates for friends and family tax returns (terms apply)
- Medical and prescription benefit option, for which people are eligible to participate after working 1,560 hours annually
Applying for a Job
It’s easy to apply to become a Jackson Hewitt tax preparer. Simply visit www.jacksonhewitt.com/careers/local-office-careers and enter the city or state where you’d like to work.
Select a position from the list of available corporate or franchisee jobs, which will open a detailed job description and show special requirements. From there, a link enables Workampers to complete and submit an application.
A member of that office will reach out to schedule an introductory phone call to describe the opportunity in greater detail and answer any questions Workampers may have. If it appears the job would be a good fit for everyone, then Workampers are sent a commitment form.
After signing that, the company sends Workampers credentials to sign into the online training portal to begin lessons whenever it’s convenient. Jackson Hewitt requires the course to be completed before showing up for work in late December or early January.
“There is a wide diversity of people we work with. Some may make a lot of money, and others very little. Some may have lots of kids, and some may have just lost a child,” Matt said. “The ability to connect with people and treat everyone with respect is a big part of what we do. It requires empathy and understanding.”
The job isn’t as difficult as some people may think, Dan added.
“About 80 percent of taxpayers our Workampers will encounter are not going to have complicated returns at all,” he explained. “Our customers either don’t feel comfortable preparing their own returns, or they prefer to work with someone who has been trained to prepare tax returns.
“They just come to us for a little peace of mind to make sure their tax returns get filed the ‘right way,’” Dan said. “For Workampers, there is some real reward and satisfaction from being a tax professional. It’s a wonderful skill to learn for personal development, but also to help people navigate some complexity and enjoy peace of mind.”
For more information, visit www.jacksonhewitt.com/careers/local-office-careers
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